Funding agency | European Comission H2020 PHC-13-2014 | Amount | 5.996.992 €
(271.424,00 €) |
PI | Josep Tabernero (Andrés Cervantes) | ||
Duration | 01/10/2015 – 30/09/2019 | ||
Abstract | The four years project MoTriColor will conduct three clinical trials in colorectal cancer patients with advanced disease, based on their specific molecular profiles. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is as complex as it is heterogeneous. Currently ranking third in the leading causes of death by cancer worldwide, with some 1,400,000 cases per year according to figures reported by the World Health Organization, colorectal cancer too often goes undetected in the early stages of disease, manifesting itself at advanced stages and therefore limiting the therapeutic options available. Furthermore, the classified molecular subtypes of CRC manifest alterations in different signaling pathways and as a consequence, prognosis and response to therapy vary tremendously across these subtypes. Strategies aimed at patient stratification depending on each individual molecular profile are currently based on tumor mutations. MoTriColor will go one step further – for the first time patients will be stratified based on their gene expression profiles according to recently established predictive signatures. According to gene expression profiles, patients will then be matched to a particular clinical trial. Patient’s specific response and resistance to specific therapies will be monitored by means of liquid biopsies. These pioneering approaches aim at identifying sensitivity of individual patients to the proposed experimental therapies towards ultimately developing more precise anti-cancer therapies for these patients. |
Funding agency | European Comission through ISCIII (Spain) (TRANSCAN2) | Amount | 1.260.927 €
(29.645 €) |
PI | Josep Tabernero (Andrés Cervantes) | ||
Duration | 01/01/2016 – 31/12/2018 | ||
Abstract | The proposed research is designed by a consolidated panEuropean colorectal cancer (CRC) consortium, which has successfully participated in the identification of prognostic/ predictive factors and mechanisms of resistance in metastatic CRC. This proposal will run in parallel to an EU funded project (MoTriColor) which assesses the value of using distinctive gene expression signatures to select three novel matched targeted therapies for mCRC treatment. This is a unique and pioneering opportunity to have access to extremely valuable samples from these trials and patients’ information to perform deeper studies related to tumor heterogeneity, subclonal diversity of driver events and therapy resistance. Since many of these patients may eventually progress to treatments, we aim to further study the molecular mechanisms of acquired resistance linked to tumour heterogeneity. Tumor samples at baseline and disease progression will be collected for all patients with biopsiable disease enrolled in the trials (estimated to be around 40% of the overall population of 126 patients). Evaluation of these paired samples will be a precious opportunity to identify genomic and gene expression differences in primary versus metastatic samples and the acquisition of resistant clones selected by each targeted therapy. The generation of Clinical Trial Associated Xenograft (CTAX) models at baseline and progression will allow testing the efficacy of other proposed treatments to break the resistance mechanisms. The proposal will allow us to establish a strong translational panEuropean platform in CRC (in parallel, but not limited to the MoTriColor clinical trials) with standardized procedures to develop new tools for assessing heterogeneity and resistance mechanisms (i.e. mRNA exosome) that may be linked to a shift in the molecular profile. |
Funding Agency | CONACYT | Amount | 24.661€ |
PI | Tania Fleitas | ||
Duration | 01/04/2017 – 30/09/2018 | ||
Abstract | This project includes two major aspects, on the one hand, the development and implementation of the Electronic Medical Report (EMR) with integration of genomic data, where the services of Medical Oncology of the Hospital de Clínicas and Hospital of Cancer will be the services where we will implement the “pilot” of EMR. Veratech, leading company in the development of EMR will develop the archeotypes necessary for its implementation and Gembiosoft, will provide the support for the integration of genomic data in them. All data, as well as all medical information related to the disease will be treated with absolute confidentiality by the personnel in charge of the investigation. Likewise, if the results of the study could be published in scientific journals, personal data of the patients who collaborated in this research were never provided. Patients’ personal data will only be accessible to their treating physician, other researchers will only have access to statistical data, both clinical and molecular, without knowing the identity of the respective patients. Thus, the associated entities that will not participate in the care of patients, will only be able to access the management of these collected data, keeping the confidentiality of the patients included. The second aspect includes the online training plan via teleconferences, led by INCLIVA, a health research institution of excellence. Likewise, the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, is a reference in oncology patient care and training. Dr. Tania Fleitas, a principal investigator of the project, is a physician, oncologist, PhD and Paraguayan researcher. She was the initiator of this proposal, motivated by her interest in improving the health of cancer patients in Paraguay and encouraging the development of research projects and the training of researchers in the area. The development of the training plan in oncology will be comprehensive, covering the different aspects of priority in our country, and in that sense all associates will have their participation in their area of expertise, and will also be invited to participate experts on each topic related to National and international level. |
Funding Agency | CONACYT | Amount | 56.018€ |
PI | Tania Fleitas | ||
Duration | 01/04/2017 – 30/09/2018 | ||
Abstract | This collaborative project seeks to introduce into the care clinic the determination of the mutational profile in patients with solid tumors as biomarkers so that they have access to targeted treatments that will optimize the health resources. The determination of the mutational profile in Paraguayan patients will allow the introduction of a cost-effective determination technique in Paraguay, where technical personnel will be trained to implement it later in the country, benefiting patients who can be treated according to their profile, with the gain in its survival and quality of life, and will position Paraguay as a pioneer in introducing this technique of determination, which also thanks to the interaction between researchers, will open the door for the participation of Paraguayan health institutions in international research projects. The INCLIVA, has the technical and teaching staff as well as the equipment to carry out such determinations. Patients will be recruited from the Hospital de Clínicas and the Cancer Hospital, which will be subsequently treated according to their mutational profile. The data will be stored and processed thanks to a genomic platform that will be created by Gembiosoft, and Curie Laboratories has shown great interest in carrying out the implementation of this technology in Paraguay. At the end of the project we can demonstrate the benefits of its implementation in the clinic and the need to introduce targeted therapies in the therapeutic strategy of cancer. Residents and predoctoral staff will be formed and interaction between local and international researchers will be encouraged. |