Project data

Funding Entity: European Commission

Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2022-DN-01

Coordinator: University of Galway (Ireland)

UNISI Principal Investigator: Prof. Lucia Morbidelli

Department: Department of Life Sciences (DSV)

Start date: 1 October 2023

End date: 30 September 2027

 

Description

Advancing targeted therapies for aggressive breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that accounts for more than 10 % of cases, often affecting younger patients. Within just 2-3 years, approximately 30 % of those diagnosed develop incurable distant metastases. Despite ongoing research, treatment remains limited to surgery and chemotherapy. One promising avenue involves nitric oxide (NO) signalling, which plays a dual role in tumour progression. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NO-CANCER-NET project harnesses this knowledge to develop therapies by targeting inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). It will train researchers in tumour biology, drug development, and computational analysis, bridging the gap between laboratory research, industry, and clinical application.

Objective

NO-CANCER-NET will focus on Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and Nitric Oxide (NO)-related therapeutic development. TNBC accounts for 10-20% breast cancers and is characterised by diagnosis at an early age and an aggressive phenotype. It indeed develops incurable distant metastasis within the first 2-3 years in approximately 30% patients. Despite significant efforts, TNBC treatment is limited to surgery and chemotherapy laying bare the urgent need for new targeted therapeutic development. Our network has demonstrated an important role for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NO signalling in TNBC metastatic progression, with efficacy of iNOS targeting demonstrated in a phase I/II clinical trial of patients with distant metastasis. Based on NO’s yin/yang effect on tumour biology, iNOS/NO system can be targeted by either inhibiting iNOS and reducing the physiological levels of NO which drive tumour progression, or vice versa using NO donating drugs to increase NO to tumouricidal levels (similar to immune cells NO-mediated tumour targeting).
The NO-CANCER-NET Doctoral Network (DN) addresses two fundamental gaps in European training: 1) a network where a core of Doctoral Candidates (DCs) can share a basic understanding of molecular target discovery, models of tumour biology assessment, drug synthesis and delivery, developing diagnostics, handling complex spatial imaging and omics expression data profiles; and 2) solid interdisciplinary training in experimental, computational and clinical research. NO-CANCER-NET will equip our DCs to understand the complexities of bench to bedside cancer research, the importance of an interdisciplinary approach and an understanding of the fundamentals of related disciplines. This will be of great importance in preparing DCs to work between academia, industry and in clinical healthcare providers

 

Source: CORDIS

 

Project website: https://nocancernetwork.eu/

 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe under GA No: 101119873