About CORDIS | Contact | Advanced Search | Legal Notice English (en)

European Commission CORDIS Projects and Results SENSING CELL-CELL INTERACTION HETEROGENEITY IN 3D TUMOR MODELS:TOWARDS PRECISION MEDICINE

Search  Sign in
NEWS & EVENTS PROJECTS & RESULTS RESEARCH*EU MAGAZINES

INTERCELLMED
Project ID: 759959
Funded under: H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

SENSING CELL-CELL INTERACTION HETEROGENEITY IN 3D TUMOR

MODELS:TOWARDS PRECISION MEDICINE
From 2018-02-01 to 2023-01-31, ongoing project

Project details
Total cost: Topic(s):
EUR 1 050 000 ERC-2017-STG - ERC Starting Grant
EU contribution: Call for proposal:
EUR 1 050 000 ERC-2017-STG See other projects for this call
Coordinated in: Funding scheme:
Italy ERC-STG - Starting Grant

Objective
This project aims to investigate the role of potassium (K+), protons (H+) and oxygen (O2) gradients in the
extracellular space of tumour cells grown in 3D cultures by using a combination of imaging, cell biology and in
silico analyses. By embedding ratiometric fluorescent particle-based sensors within 3D scaffolds, the changes in
target analyte concentrations can be monitored and used to study the interactions between tumour cells and
stromal cells in 3D tumoroids/scaffolds and to monitor response of the cells to drug treatments. I first
demonstrated successful fabrication of barcoded capsules for multiplex sensing of H+, K+, and Na+ ions. Next, I
demonstrated the use of pH-sensing capsules as valid real time optical reporter tools to sense and monitor
intracellular acidification in living cells. Thus, I can fabricate capsule sensors for investigating the role of key
analytes that are involved in regulation of crucial physiological mechanisms. In addition, I successfully integrated
pH-sensing capsules within 3D nanofibrous matrices and demonstrated their operation under pH switches.
INTERCELLMED will engineer 3D scaffolds that do not only sense extracellular pH but are also able to sense K+
and O2 changes. To this aim, a novel set of anisotropic analyte-sensitive ratiometric capsules will be developed
and applied for generating robust and flexible capsules-embedded sensing scaffolds. To validate the functions of
the 3D sensing platform, cocoltures of tumour cells and stromal cells will be grown and their interaction and
response to drug treatments will be studied by mapping the K+/H+/O2 gradients in and around the cell
aggregates. Finally, the 3D sensing platform will be adapted for growing tumour tissue-derived cells that will be
tested ex-vivo with anticancer dugs. Specific mathematical models of cellular interactions will be developed to
represent the biological processes occurring within the 3D sensing platform.
(-)

Host Institution
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Italy
PIAZZALE ALDO MORO 7 EU contribution: EUR 1 050 000
00185 ROMA
Italy
Activity type: Research Organisations
Contact the organisation

Beneficiaries Expand all

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE Italy

To know more
http://erc.europa.eu/

Share this page

Last updated on: 2018-01-24
Record Number: 212815

Download  Booklet  My booklet (0)

Follow us on: Top Managed by the EU Publications Office