SweetCAR | CAR-T cell therapy targeting carbohydrates in cancer

Summary
Major limitations in current immunotherapy success are low antigenicity of targeting antigen and tumor heterogeneity. Hence there is an unmet need for novel antigen targets that could potentially be expressed on many tumor types. Cancer express aberrant cell surface glycosylation patterns compared to normal cells. These tumor-associated carbohydrate-neoantigens can be targeted for tumor cell killing by antibodies and cytotoxic immune cells. Sialic acids cover cell surface glycans and frequently have altered expression on many types of carcinoma cells and correlate with cancer progression and/or metastasis. We aim to focus on targeting sialic acid containing carbohydrate-neoantigens using the chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy approach. Current clinical CAR-T cells target mostly soluble tumors using CD19, BCMA and other non-cancer specific antigens that often suffer toxicity and side effects. Our universal anti-carbohydrate CAR-T approach could target many types of carcinomas with high specificity and safety, and could potentially reach patients rapidly.
Unfold all
/
Fold all
More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/957512
Start date: 01-10-2020
End date: 30-04-2022
Total budget - Public funding: - 150 000,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Major limitations in current immunotherapy success are low antigenicity of targeting antigen and tumor heterogeneity. Hence there is an unmet need for novel antigen targets that could potentially be expressed on many tumor types. Cancer express aberrant cell surface glycosylation patterns compared to normal cells. These tumor-associated carbohydrate-neoantigens can be targeted for tumor cell killing by antibodies and cytotoxic immune cells. Sialic acids cover cell surface glycans and frequently have altered expression on many types of carcinoma cells and correlate with cancer progression and/or metastasis. We aim to focus on targeting sialic acid containing carbohydrate-neoantigens using the chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy approach. Current clinical CAR-T cells target mostly soluble tumors using CD19, BCMA and other non-cancer specific antigens that often suffer toxicity and side effects. Our universal anti-carbohydrate CAR-T approach could target many types of carcinomas with high specificity and safety, and could potentially reach patients rapidly.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

ERC-2020-POC

Update Date

27-04-2024
Images
No images available.
Geographical location(s)
Structured mapping
Unfold all
/
Fold all
Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
ERC-2020
ERC-2020-PoC