Objective
Two critical events propel tumor cells and their progeny into uncontrolled expansion and invasion:
deregulated cell proliferation and suppression of apoptosis. The most critical issue is to identify how tumor cells
differ from normal cells and how those differences can be exploited therapeutically. Suppression of apoptosis is
one of the attributes of cancer cells, and proteins involved in survival pathways can be used as targets of
chemotherapeutic drugs.
During the past years my colleagues and me have extensively worked with two proteins that play an
essential role in T cell proliferation and apoptosis: Vav and Protein Kinase C 6 (PKC6). These two proteins are
essential components of the intracellular signaling pathway that leads from TCR engagement to interleukin 2
(IL-2) production, the essential marker of T cell activation. An essential component of this pathway is activating
protein -1 (AP-1), a transcription factor that binds to the IL-2 promoter. There is evidence supporting an
autocrine loop involving IL-2 and IL-2 receptor a (IL-2R d) that is constitutively expressed by the malignant
cells in an array of T cell leukemias. In this context, IL-2 gene regulation by AP-1 could be of therapeutical
interest. Besides the importance of AP-1 in T cell signaling, most of the intracellular pathway leading to its
activation is unknown. We propose to use Vav/PKC0 as a starting point to look for downstream signaling
pathways leading to AP-1 activation, with particular emphasis on MAPK cascades. In addition, we propose to
identify the components of AP-1 in TCR-activated T cells, using this as well to characterize the upstream
pathways that converge on this transcriptional regulator. We propose to dissect this pathway with the idea of
developing new drug targets for therapeutical interventions in leukemia, or different process in which the
immune system should be down regulated as autoimmunity or graft rejection.
As an example of the i
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.
- natural sciences biological sciences cell biology cell signaling
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology genetic engineering
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology leukemia
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
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)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
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.
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.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-12
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
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.
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.
IRG - Marie Curie actions-International re-integration grants
Coordinator
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.