GlycoMap · Integrated Glycomics for Cancer Precision Medicine
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2023-09-01 → 2025-10-31
- EU contribution
- €226,751
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Integrated Glycomics for Cancer Precision Medicine
Tissue heterogeneity is fundamental for the development of multicellular organisms but presents considerable complexity for our understanding of biology and disease mechanisms, including cancer. One of the largest sources of tissue heterogeneity arises from post-translational glycosylation of proteins (attachment of a glycan structure during protein synthesis). Yet, substantial gaps remain in our knowledge of glycans. Proteoglycans are glycan-protein hybrids with long, linear glycan chains that govern multiple functions in biology. However, the structure and biochemical properties of these glycans provide significant challenges for their isolation and characterisation. Glycomics (the comprehensive study of the glycome) offers the potential to provide the global glycosylation status of a patient or sample and shed new light on disease mechanisms and treatment efficacy to guide precision medicine. The GlycoMap project aims to address the substantial knowledge gap in protein glycosylation data of proteoglycans by developing an integrated glycomics workflow from a single sample that includes proteoglycan analyses compatible with other glycomics. The mission and design of the GlycoMap project was to train the researcher, who has a background in proteoglycan biology and bioinformatics, with expanded skills and expertise in other glycan types (N-/O-glycomics), organoid biology, hi-resolution 3D imaging and advanced bioinformatics, augmenting her future career opportunities, as well as establishing an integrated glycomics workflow to support multiple glycan analyses (multi-glycomics), diagnostics and the development of novel treatments for human health and disease. The developed platform has high potential in the discovery of novel disease diagnostics and evaluation of treatment efficacies towards precision medicine for many diseases including cancer, sepsis, kidney and neurological diseases in addition to increasing our fundamental understanding of tissue development and organoid models.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Breast Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Europe and remains the first cause of cancer death in women (nearly 92,000 deaths in 2020). Precision medicine uses data-driven insights to reflect the heterogeneity of patients and improve cancer care by offering actionable oncology treatment options. Tumour tissue heterogeneity is the leading cause for inter-patient variation in treatment response. One of the largest sources of tissue heterogeneity arises from post-translational glycosylation of proteins and aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of breast and other cancers. Yet, substantial gaps remain in our knowledge of cancer glycans. Glycomics (the comprehensive study of the glycome) offers the potential to provide the global glycosylation status (GlycoMap) of a patient and shed new light on tumour heterogeneity to guide precision medicine. This project aims to address the substantial knowledge gap in breast cancer tumour glycosylation data by developing an integrated glycomics workflow to produce patient-specific 'GlycoMaps'. By including glycosaminoglycan (GAG) 'omics from intact GAGs for the first time, combined with other glycan analyses will enable the generation of Breast Cancer GlycoMaps from resistant and drug-sensitive patient-derived organoids (mini avatars of tumour tissue), defining residual tumour tissue following treatment that causes relapse and metastasis. The mission and design of the GlycoMap project is to train the researcher, who has a background in GAGomics, proteoglycan biology and bioinformatics, with expanded skills and expertise in N-/O-glycomics, organoid culture, hi-resolution 3D imaging and advanced bioinformatics in the context of breast cancer, augmenting her future career opportunities, as well as establishing unbiased top-down integrated glycomics to support breast cancer analyses, diagnostics and the development of novel treatments.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- OSLOMET - STORBYUNIVERSITETET · OsloCoordinatorNorway
- PRINSES MAXIMA CENTRUM VOOR KINDERONCOLOGIE BV · UtrechtNetherlands
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101107665
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e50a99aaf2&appId=PPGMS
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e52896a368&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union