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H2020Doctoral network2015–2019

GlyCoCan · Exploiting Glycosylation of Colorectal Cancer for the development of improved diagnostics and therapeutics

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-09-01 → 2019-08-31
EU contribution
€3,293,891
Participants
17
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Exploiting Glycosylation of Colorectal Cancer for the development of improved diagnostics and therapeutics

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health burden worldwide, with 1.8 million cases and an annual mortality of 880,000 worldwide (2018). Early detection is crucial, as the treatment is most efficient when administered in early stages. However, current screening methods are not optimal, they are invasive and often not accurate enough to detect CRC with certainty. Many research groups are looking for more CRC-specific markers to improve diagnosis and in particular early detection. Likewise, it is important to understand the mechanisms behind CRC onset, in order to develop novel treatments which can be personalized to provide the best cure for everyone. In the search for new markers to detect CRC, to predict the survival of individual patients and to identify new treatment targets, the GlyCoCan consortium investigated a promising class of molecules, so far underappreciated in the clinics: carbohydrate chains, also referred as glycans. These glycans are attached to proteins and lipids. All our cells are densely covered with these molecules, and 50-70% of the proteins present in our blood are carrying glycan chains. Glycans are involved in probably any physiological process, including cell development. The glycan characteristics change depending on specific conditions in our body, and these changes can help to identify a disease. Furthermore altered glycosylation is an hallmark of pathological conditions such as cancer and contribute to disease mechanisms. The GlyCoCan consortium performed research to understand i) which changes in glycan characteristics occur in CRC and ii) what impact these changes have on CRC development and other biological events in our body. For this, new techniques were developed which allowed to identify and characterize glycans as well as to study their functional roles. The GlyCoCan consortium combined excellent scientific research with high-quality training for 13 PhD students (ESRs) in three different disciplines: (1) Glycobiology, focussing on the general understanding and characterization of glycans in CRC; (2) Glyco-immunology, studying the role of glycans in immune responses in CRC; (3) Clinical glycomics, evaluating glycans as novel markers for diagnosis and prognosis of CRC. More information on the project and people involved as well as descriptions of individual ESR project can be found on: https://glycocan.eu/.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major worldwide cancer burden with about 1.4 million cases in 2012 and an annual mortality of approximately 700,000. Early detection is crucial as treatment is most efficient in early stages where population based screenings could substantially reduce incidence and mortality.Current screening techniques are invasive or lack sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms leading to the formation of different antigens suggested as CRC biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets are poorly understood, especially with regard to carbohydrate-based molecules, such as glycans. Enhancing our understanding of the structure-function relationship of glycosylation in CRC could lead to the discovery of improved diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and pave the way for nov-el therapeutic targets.Building on an established network of analysts with many years of experience in (glyco)proteomics and biomarker research, in collaboration with colleagues in the field of glycobiology and glyco-immunology, GlyCoCan will develop new methods, and use current state of the art methods, to investigate the role of glycosylation in many different aspects of CRC.The GlyCoCan multi-disciplinary network will principally be a training programme with a substantial industrial focus on technology transfer and teaching of internationally adopted biopharma regulations (GMP, ISO9001, ICH guidelines). The underlying specific research objectives will be addressed within individual ESR projects, giving rise to a generation of ESRs whose main focus is investigating and tackling the challenges of the role of glycosylation within CRC and other diseases. The network will address the currently unmet need for glycosylation researchers with an inter-disciplinary perspective to fully exploit the immense potential of the young scientific field of glyco-oncology and to set them on a path to successful and productive careers in academic and industrial collaborations.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN · LeidenCoordinatorNetherlands
  • ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA · BolognaItaly
  • CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisFrance
  • DC4U · BreukelenNetherlands
  • GENOS DOO ZA VJESTACENJE I ANALIZU · OSIJEKCroatia
  • INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA EXPERIMENTAL E TECNOLOGICA · OeirasPortugal
  • INSTITUTO PORTUGUES DE ONCOLOGIA DO PORTO FRANCISCO GENTIL, EPE · PortoPortugal
  • LUDGER LIMITED · AbingdonUnited Kingdom
  • MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV · MUNCHENGermany
  • MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIEN · WienAustria
  • NOVA ID FCT - ASSOCIACAO PARA A INOVACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DA FCT · CaparicaPortugal
  • Postdoc Career Development Forum BV · UtrechtNetherlands
  • ROCHE DIAGNOSTICS GMBH · MannheimGermany
  • STICHTING AMSTERDAM UMC · AmsterdamNetherlands
  • STICHTING VU · AmsterdamNetherlands
  • UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA · LisboaPortugal
  • UNIVERSITATSKLINIKUM SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN · LübeckGermany

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union