ION-CANDEL · Ion channelome of solid tumours: Novel immunotherapy targets for cancer-specific mRNA and drug delivery

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Project objective

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. While immunotherapies have revolutionised care for a small subset of patients, the vast majority remain resistant due to immunologically “cold” tumours and the lack of effective delivery systems for RNA therapies. ION-CANDEL addresses this urgent unmet need through a first-in-class precision platform that combines novel targets, advanced nanomedicine, and immune modulation into a single therapeutic strategy.The project will map and validate CRC-enriched ion channel variants as unique molecular “fingerprints” using single-cell and long-read sequencing supported by proteomics. These variants will serve as precision “locks” for engineering short peptide–decorated, thermo-responsive lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). The platform will then be armed with a combinatorial RNA cargo—a pro-apoptotic mRNA and an anti-PD-L1 siRNA—to trigger tumour cell death and restore immune activity. Preclinical validation in 2D/3D cultures and mouse models will establish tumour targeting, safety, and therapeutic efficacy.ION-CANDEL is directly aligned with the MSCA work programme: it advances frontier science through an interdisciplinary workflow, provides the researcher fellow with cutting-edge training in nanomedicine and immuno-oncology, and generates open-access resources, reproducible workflows, and exploitable intellectual property. By uniting discovery with translational application, it strengthens Europe’s leadership in RNA/LNP therapeutics and supports the researcher fellow’s path towards independence as a translational oncology group leader.Through scientific excellence, societal relevance, and economic potential, ION-CANDEL promises to transform precision oncology for CRC patients while consolidating the fellow’s career and Europe’s capacity to innovate in next-generation RNA therapies.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• DEUTSCHES KREBSFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM HEIDELBERG · HeidelbergCoordinatorGermany

Links

• View on CORDIS
• DOI: 10.3030/101281237