Project description
A pancreatic cancer nanovaccine
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers, with a five-year survival rate below 10 %. It often resists immunotherapy because its dense, immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment restricts effective immune-cell access and function. GlycoIMPACT will investigate aberrantly glycosylated peptides as a promising source of tumour-associated vaccine targets. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GlycoIMPACT project aims to develop liposome-based nanovaccines designed to deliver these tumour targets to immune cells in the skin, triggering immune responses against the tumour. Researchers will use multi-omics data and computational tools to identify the most immunogenic glycopeptide targets. The platform will be validated in pancreatic cancer models, offering a novel precision immunotherapy strategy.
Objective
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate below 10% due to late diagnosis, immune exclusion, and resistance to existing immunotherapies. GlycoIMPACT tackles these challenges by developing an innovative glycan-based nanovaccine platform targeting tumor-specific glycopeptide neoantigens resulting from abnormal glycoproteomics signatures—markers absent in healthy tissues that enhance immune response specificity. The project has two core objectives. First, it aims to identify and prioritize novel immunogenic PDAC glycopeptides using advanced multi-omics data and computational tools that consider proteomics, glycan features, cellular localization, cancer relevance, and MHC-binding potential. Second, it focuses on engineering and testing targeted liposomal nanovaccines designed for precise delivery to epidermal Langerhans cells via a high-affinity glycomimetic ligand, triggering strong systemic and tissue-resident T-cell responses. The well-studied MUC1-Tn epitope serves as a benchmark to validate new vaccine candidates.
Hosted at the University of Vienna (UNIVIE) with a secondment at the University of La Rioja (UR), the project integrates complementary expertise in nanomedicine, glycoimmunology, peptide synthesis, and computational biology. The researcher benefits from comprehensive training in synthesis, immunological assays, molecular simulations, and nanoparticle engineering, fully aligned with MSCA career development standards. A focused dissemination and exploitation plan supports translation to clinical applications and strengthens European leadership in glycoimmunotherapy.
GlycoIMPACT combines interdisciplinary innovation with translational science, offering a promising strategy to overcome PDAC immunotherapy resistance. It empowers the researcher with advanced skills and lays the groundwork for novel cancer vaccines that could significantly improve patient outcomes.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology prostate cancer
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins proteomics
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology nanomedicine
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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1010 Wien
Austria
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