Objective
Cancer heterogeneity has reinforced the need for personalized treatment modalities. Pre-therapeutic diagnostic testing of heterogeneous tumors helps avoid inefficacious treatments, optimizes targeted therapy, and improves quality of life. Within targeted therapy, immunotherapy has led to significant improvements in treatment outcomes and is swiftly being integrated in diagnostic workflows. In this context, routine diagnostic tests currently do not exist, and treatments are further challenged by heterogeneity. Spatially resolved molecular probing of tumors prior to treatment would allow prediction of patient response to immunotherapeutics.
We have been developing methods to perform local biochemical reactions at micrometer length scales using nanoliter volumes of biochemicals. These methods are implemented using a scanning probe technology – the microfluidic probe (MFP) – with devices, platforms and assays adapted for application on biological substrates. With this, we are working towards multi-modal molecular profiling of tumors – tissue microprocessing (TMP). Thus far, we have demonstrated TMP for local DNA and mRNA analysis on live cells, for patterning cells and for micro-immunohistochemical tests on tissues.
Here, we will leverage TMP concepts to work on the initial steps in pre-commercializing the MFP for diagnostic testing in immunotherapy. Specifically, we aim to
(1) develop assays for morphological and molecular analyses of pancreatic tissues using the MFP
(2) adapt the assays developed in (1) to be compatible with workflows of state-of-the-art genome and transcriptome analysis for molecular profiling of tumors in diagnostics
(3) validate these techniques for patient samples.
With this PoC grant, we envision to translate the MFP technology from the lab to the clinic for personalized immunotherapy.
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 genetics DNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA transcriptomes
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunotherapy
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2016-PoC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8803 RUESCHLIKON
Switzerland
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.