Projet pHioniC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Doctoral Networks
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

pHioniC brings together highly synergistic expertise, research and training facilities to investigate pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a frequent and aggressive cancer that is still incurable. The programme’s central hypothesis has a strong grounding in the physiology of the exocrine pancreas. Secretion of the alkaline pancreatic juice, normally associated with digestion, leads to acidifications of the pancreas stroma resulting in an acid adaptation of pancreatic cells. We are first to propose that this adaptation facilitates PDAC initiation and progression by selecting for more aggressive phenotypes in interplay with PDAC driver mutations. pHioniC will: (i) develop models (e.g. pancreas-/PDAC-specific pH-indicator mouse) to map the pH landscape in the normal and diseased pancreas, (ii) characterize the impact of the acidic microenvironment in PDAC development and (iii) design bespoke approaches to the treatment of PDAC that exploit the unique physiology of the pancreas and utilize a combination of nanocarrier and antibody technology for targeting. Thereby, pHioniC provides an innovative interdisciplinary and intersectoral training for ESRs at the forefront of oncological research. pHioniC comprises excellent complementary basic-research, clinical, and in silico laboratories that provided the seed discoveries for this novel concept, and industrial partners with a track record in therapeutic and diagnostic development in oncology. This highly synergistic team combines the state-of-the-art research tools and translational opportunities needed to meet the most ambitious doctoral programmes. pHioniC training for ESRs covers the fields of ion transport, oncology, imaging, bioinformatics and antibody technology, and is complemented by extensive transferable skills and personalised training elements. pHioniC will establish a lasting contribution towards European doctoral training beyond the lifetime of the project.

Mots clés : pancreatic cancer, pancreas, acid base physiology, microenvironment, transportome, cell cell, signalling, imaging, bioinformatics, antibody technology

Participants :
- University of Padua (Italie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Turin (Italie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Bari Aldo Moro (Italie) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 261499.68 €
- University of Debrecen (Hongrie) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 229715.28 €
- Université de Picardie Jules-Verne (France) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 274802.04 €
- Erasmus MC (Pays-Bas) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Percuros (Netherlands) (Pays-Bas) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 265619.88 €
- Heidelberg Pharma (Germany) (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 252788.4 €
- Kiel University (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 252788.4 €
- University of Göttingen (Allemagne) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Partner, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 505576.8 €
- Typeone s.r.l. (Italie) — Partner, organization partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Lille (France) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 274802.04 €
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 892566.0 €
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 303172.56 €
- University of Münster (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 252788.4 €
- University of Florence (Italie) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 261499.68 €