IONTRAC
Ion Transport Proteins in Control of Cancer Cell Behaviour
| Coordinatore | WESTFAELISCHE WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER
Organization address
address: SCHLOSSPLATZ 2 contact info |
| Nazionalità Coordinatore | Germany [DE] |
| Totale costo | 3˙925˙580 € |
| EC contributo | 3˙925˙580 € |
| Programma | FP7-PEOPLE
Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) |
| Code Call | FP7-PEOPLE-2011-ITN |
| Funding Scheme | MC-ITN |
| Anno di inizio | 2011 |
| Periodo (anno-mese-giorno) | 2011-10-01 - 2015-09-30 |
Partecipanti
| # | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
WESTFAELISCHE WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET MUENSTER
Organization address
address: SCHLOSSPLATZ 2 contact info |
DE (MUENSTER) | coordinator | 608˙852.00 |
| 2 | KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET | DK | participant | 856˙217.00 |
| 3 |
UNIVERSITE DES SCIENCES ET TECHNOLOGIES DE LILLE
Organization address
address: Cité Scientifique Batiment A3 contact info |
FR (VILLENEUVE D'ASCQ) | participant | 486˙063.00 |
| 4 |
MAX PLANCK GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.
Organization address
address: Hofgartenstrasse 8 contact info |
DE (MUENCHEN) | participant | 462˙390.00 |
| 5 |
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Organization address
address: SOUTH KENSINGTON CAMPUS EXHIBITION ROAD contact info |
UK (LONDON) | participant | 268˙551.00 |
| 6 |
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
Organization address
address: University Offices, Wellington Square contact info |
UK (OXFORD) | participant | 268˙551.00 |
| 7 |
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FIRENZE
Organization address
address: Piazza San Marco 4 contact info |
IT (Florence) | participant | 254˙454.00 |
| 8 |
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI BARI ALDO MORO
Organization address
address: Piazza Umberto I 1 contact info |
IT (BARI) | participant | 253˙112.00 |
| 9 |
CHRISTIAN-ALBRECHTS-UNIVERSITAET ZU KIEL
Organization address
address: OLSHAUSENSTRASSE 40 contact info |
DE (KIEL) | participant | 233˙695.02 |
| 10 |
Bayer Pharma AG
Organization address
address: Muellerstrasse 178 contact info |
DE (Berlin) | participant | 233˙695.00 |
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Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)
'With over 3 million new cases and 1.5 million arising deaths each year in Europe, cancer is a major public health problem with an urgent need for new therapies. This proposal builds upon mounting evidence that ion channels and transporters underlie many of the hallmarks of cancer. Thus, proteins involved in membrane transport, long known as important drug targets in other pathologies (channelopathies), are a new class of therapeutic and/or diagnostic targets in oncology. IonTraC is first to propose a systematic analysis of the expression, function, as well as therapeutic and diagnostic potential of proteins involved in ion transport (the 'transportome') in cancer. This paradigm will be implemented in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) which has one of the worst prognoses of all cancers, with an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 5%. IonTraC thereby provides the framework for an inter- and supra-disciplinary training for early stage researchers in a highly innovative, exponentially growing field in oncology which will have a major impact on other disciplines such as immunology and angiology as well. The main objectives of IonTraC are: • to provide a scientific and methodological platform for supra-disciplinary training of early stage researchers in and beyond the fields of ion transport and oncology • to provide an inter-sectoral training programme with special focus on career development of young researchers • to determine the concerted expression and function of ion channels and transporters required for the progression of PDAC, and • to provide validated therapeutic and diagnostic concepts and tools that are based on transport proteins serving as novel drug targets and/or biomarkers.'
Introduzione (Teaser)
European researchers are testing the novel hypothesis that proteins responsible for ion transport across cells constitute therapeutic targets for cancer.
Descrizione progetto (Article)
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) ranks amongst the deadliest cancers, with a less than 5 % 5-year survival rate. PDAC pathophysiology is characterised by extensive connective tissue formation that eventually causes hypoxia, apoptosis resistance and metastasis.
The EU-funded 'Ion transport proteins in control of cancer cell behaviour' (IONTRAC) proposal builds upon accumulating evidence that ion channels and transporters underlie many of the hallmarks of cancer. This consortium is working to identify their therapeutic and/or diagnostic value in oncology.
Among the key activities of the IONTRAC project is the recruitment and multi-disciplinary training of fellows in clinical and experimental oncology. To facilitate research on the expression and function of ion transporters in PDAC, they optimised various cell and animal models of PDAC. A high-throughput analysis of ion transporter expression in cells lines and patient samples was completed. First indications reveal that environmental conditions such as hypoxia influence expression of these molecules.
With respect to their association with PDAC progression, primary results indicate a dependence of cancer cells on ion channels for migration and invasion. Although delineation of the precise cellular mechanism is pending, these results clearly underscore the importance of ion transporters in PDAC pathophysiology.
Studies to elucidate the therapeutic relevance of ion transporters are underway. Researchers are working on whole animal imaging to associate changes in ion transporter expression with disease progression to develop diagnostic tools. Furthermore, they are exploiting the necessity of certain channels to induce cancer cell apoptosis, and envision the design of transporter-based therapeutic strategies.
Considering that PDAC is incurable, the identification of novel biomarkers or therapeutic targets will only improve the dismal prognosis of this lethal disease.