Owing to Weave-UNISONO funding, researchers from the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology together with their German partners will study proteins driving prostate cancer progression.
Prof. Monika Pietrowska will lead the Polish research team in carrying out the project: “Characterization of the ALDH1A1/MMP11 pathway as a potential biomarker and regulator of prostate cancer progression and metastases.” The German research team will be headed by Dr Ielizaveta Gorodetska from the Dresden University of Technology.
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancer in men worldwide and its metastatic form has low survival and limited therapeutic options. Our study describes a new mechanism whereby ALDH1A1 and ALDH1A3 are critical regulators of PCa radioresistance and metastases by activating a pathway using retinoic acid, TGF-β1 and MMP11. MMP11 was found to contribute to the PCa progression, whereas its inhibition enhances prostate cancer cell radio-sensitization. The tumour and plasma MMP11 levels have shown a potential to differentiate between metastatic and non-metastatic, and to predict disease progression and response to therapy. Development of the MMP11 targeting strategy may enhance cancer diagnosis, patient stratification, and treatment efficacy in prostate cancer, especially when combined with radiotherapy.
The successful proposal was evaluated by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the evaluation results were approved by NCN under the Weave cooperation. The Polish project budget is over PLN 950,000.
Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure
Weave-UNISONO is a result of multilateral cooperation between the research-funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures in all academic disciplines, involving researchers from two or three European countries.
The winning applicants are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure according to which one partner institution performs a complete merit-based evaluation of proposals, the results of which are subsequently approved by the other partners.
Under the Weave Programme, partner research teams apply for parallel funding to the Lead Agency and their respective institutions participating in the Programme. Joint research projects must include a coherent research program with the added value of the international cooperation clearly identified.
Weave-UNISONO is carried out on an ongoing basis. Research teams intending to cooperate with partners from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium-Flanders are urged to read the call text and apply for funding.