Project acronym DynaCOMP
Project Assessing compounds targeting DNA replication licensing complexes as anti-tumor agents
Researcher (PI) Zoi LYGEROU
Host Institution (HI) PANEPISTIMIO PATRON
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2016-PoC
Summary Cancer is a major clinical, societal and economic burden worldwide and development of novel anti-cancer therapies constitutes a major investment of public and private funds. Despite intense research over decades however, which has led to a much improved understanding of cancer biology, cancer treatment remains a challenge. This is to a large extent due to the genetic heterogeneity of cancer and the ability of cancer cells to escape treatment by constantly undergoing further genetic alterations. During our ERC funded work, we have shown that aberrations in the DNA replication licensing pathway may contribute to the genome plasticity of cancer cells, and appear a common feature of cancer cells. They may however also constitute an Achilles foot, as cancer cells appear more dependent on negative regulators of the licensing system for survival. Cancer cells may therefore be more sensitive than normal cells to compounds targeting this control (inhibition of untimely licensing). We have identified compounds which target the DNA replication licensing inhibitor Geminin. The proposed PoC study will enable us to:
- assess the efficacy and specificity of the identified compounds in cells and preclinical models and study their mechanism of action.
- investigate the potential use of these compounds for studying cell cycle processes.
- assess whether the functional imaging approaches developed under the mother ERC project, which quantify protein-protein interactions within living cells, may constitute a powerful tool for in-cell analysis of novel lead compounds.
The project thus aims to characterize, protect and commercialize novel putative anti-tumor agents as well as the in-cell methods developed for their characterization.
Summary
Cancer is a major clinical, societal and economic burden worldwide and development of novel anti-cancer therapies constitutes a major investment of public and private funds. Despite intense research over decades however, which has led to a much improved understanding of cancer biology, cancer treatment remains a challenge. This is to a large extent due to the genetic heterogeneity of cancer and the ability of cancer cells to escape treatment by constantly undergoing further genetic alterations. During our ERC funded work, we have shown that aberrations in the DNA replication licensing pathway may contribute to the genome plasticity of cancer cells, and appear a common feature of cancer cells. They may however also constitute an Achilles foot, as cancer cells appear more dependent on negative regulators of the licensing system for survival. Cancer cells may therefore be more sensitive than normal cells to compounds targeting this control (inhibition of untimely licensing). We have identified compounds which target the DNA replication licensing inhibitor Geminin. The proposed PoC study will enable us to:
- assess the efficacy and specificity of the identified compounds in cells and preclinical models and study their mechanism of action.
- investigate the potential use of these compounds for studying cell cycle processes.
- assess whether the functional imaging approaches developed under the mother ERC project, which quantify protein-protein interactions within living cells, may constitute a powerful tool for in-cell analysis of novel lead compounds.
The project thus aims to characterize, protect and commercialize novel putative anti-tumor agents as well as the in-cell methods developed for their characterization.
Max ERC Funding
150 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-07-01, End date: 2018-12-31
Project acronym HYDROPHO-CHEAP
Project Commercialization of a novel method for fabricating cheap tailor–made superhydrophobic surfaces
Researcher (PI) Athanasios PAPATHANASIOU
Host Institution (HI) NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS - NTUA
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2016-PoC
Summary The aim of the HYDROPHO-CHEAP project is to optimize, protect, and commercialize a recently developed methodology that allowed us to achieve “tailor-made” control of the wettability of polymer surfaces, rendering them super water-repellent.
What makes our methodology highly innovative is the fast and cheap fabrication process, and most importantly the potential of implementing it in real-life environments. With this unique method we can fabricate ‘superhydrophobic islands’ (with a spatial resolution of 100 μm in the horizontal plane) of any shape i.e. dots, stripes, polygons and interconnected shapes, in any combination. Such functional surfaces can be produced in a single and fast fabrication step, without applying any hydrophobization top coating since we process an inherently hydrophobic material.
We plan to demonstrate the capabilities that our method can offer to specific applications (microfluidic chips, fog harvesting, low flow friction surfaces) that we identified as the most prominent, protect the intellectual property that we have produced through our research and to find the optimum route-to-market in order to commercialize our research results.
Summary
The aim of the HYDROPHO-CHEAP project is to optimize, protect, and commercialize a recently developed methodology that allowed us to achieve “tailor-made” control of the wettability of polymer surfaces, rendering them super water-repellent.
What makes our methodology highly innovative is the fast and cheap fabrication process, and most importantly the potential of implementing it in real-life environments. With this unique method we can fabricate ‘superhydrophobic islands’ (with a spatial resolution of 100 μm in the horizontal plane) of any shape i.e. dots, stripes, polygons and interconnected shapes, in any combination. Such functional surfaces can be produced in a single and fast fabrication step, without applying any hydrophobization top coating since we process an inherently hydrophobic material.
We plan to demonstrate the capabilities that our method can offer to specific applications (microfluidic chips, fog harvesting, low flow friction surfaces) that we identified as the most prominent, protect the intellectual property that we have produced through our research and to find the optimum route-to-market in order to commercialize our research results.
Max ERC Funding
149 730 €
Duration
Start date: 2018-02-01, End date: 2019-07-31
Project acronym NeuronAgeScreen
Project A Drug Discovery and Target Identification Screening Platform for Age-Associated Neurodegenerative Disorders
Researcher (PI) Nektarios TAVERNARAKIS
Host Institution (HI) IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS
Call Details Proof of Concept (PoC), PC1, ERC-2016-PoC
Summary Battling human neurodegenerative pathologies, and their pervasive societal impact, is a global multi-billion Euro enterprise. Ageing is universally associated with marked decrease of neuronal function and higher susceptibility to neurodegeneration. In human populations, this is manifested as an ever-increasing prevalence of devastating neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, stroke, several ataxias, and other types of dementia. Development of therapeutic interventions against such maladies is becoming a pressing priority. Drug discovery and drug target identification are two intimately linked facets of intervention strategies aimed at effectively combating human disorders. Genes linked to human diseases often function in evolutionary conserved pathways, readily dissected in simple model organisms. Such organisms provide attractive platforms for devising and streamlining efficient drug discovery and target identification methodologies. During the course of the ERC project NeuronAge, we developed a convenient and versatile platform for high-throughput chemical compound screening based on the nematode C. elegans (Nature 521: 525; Nature 490: 213). This innovative platform uniquely combines state-of-the-art microfluidics technologies for imaging and manipulation of neurons in vivo, with the experimental prowess of C. elegans, a highly malleable genetic model, which offers a precisely defined nervous system, two features that are not available in any other organism. We propose to: (1) bring this high-throughput compound screening system to pre-demonstration stage; (2) evaluate its dependability for drug target identification and drug discovery; (3) file US and European patent applications for IPR protection; and (4) identify potential commercialization opportunities. The overarching aim is to facilitate the exploitation of the innovation generated in the context of NeuronAge towards the betterment of human health and quality of life.
Summary
Battling human neurodegenerative pathologies, and their pervasive societal impact, is a global multi-billion Euro enterprise. Ageing is universally associated with marked decrease of neuronal function and higher susceptibility to neurodegeneration. In human populations, this is manifested as an ever-increasing prevalence of devastating neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, stroke, several ataxias, and other types of dementia. Development of therapeutic interventions against such maladies is becoming a pressing priority. Drug discovery and drug target identification are two intimately linked facets of intervention strategies aimed at effectively combating human disorders. Genes linked to human diseases often function in evolutionary conserved pathways, readily dissected in simple model organisms. Such organisms provide attractive platforms for devising and streamlining efficient drug discovery and target identification methodologies. During the course of the ERC project NeuronAge, we developed a convenient and versatile platform for high-throughput chemical compound screening based on the nematode C. elegans (Nature 521: 525; Nature 490: 213). This innovative platform uniquely combines state-of-the-art microfluidics technologies for imaging and manipulation of neurons in vivo, with the experimental prowess of C. elegans, a highly malleable genetic model, which offers a precisely defined nervous system, two features that are not available in any other organism. We propose to: (1) bring this high-throughput compound screening system to pre-demonstration stage; (2) evaluate its dependability for drug target identification and drug discovery; (3) file US and European patent applications for IPR protection; and (4) identify potential commercialization opportunities. The overarching aim is to facilitate the exploitation of the innovation generated in the context of NeuronAge towards the betterment of human health and quality of life.
Max ERC Funding
150 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-05-01, End date: 2018-10-31
