Cancer research – projects funded under the sixth framework programme

MolDiag-Paca
Novel Molecular Diagnostic Tools for the Prevention and
Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer
Keywords
Potential applications
Pancreatic cancer, molecular diagnostics, Novel tools will include transcript and epigenetic analyses, chip tech- molecular imaging, early diagnosis, PanINs nology, single or multiple marker protein studies, DNA/RNA PCR analyses, serum proteomics and molecular imaging. The project will use clinical samples such as serum, urine, fine needle aspirates and surgi- cally resected materials of pancreatic cancer patients collected in large multinational European trials such as ESPAC and EUROPAC. During the Pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis due to the late presentation last phase, prospective clinical trials of novel diagnostic tools developed of the tumours and the absence of satisfactory therapeutic options for in the integrated project will be designed and started.
advanced disease. Surgical resection of early tumours or preneoplastic lesions represents the only curative approach. It is currently difficult to Project website: under construction
identify early stages of the tumour and preneoplastic lesions and, once in an advanced stage, there are no diagnostic means for a risk stratifica-tion of patients concerning prognosis or responsiveness to therapy. Here we propose an integrated project joining leading groups in European pancreatic cancer research, SMEs and industry to develop novel molecular diagnostic approaches for the prevention, early diag-nosis and risk stratification of pancreatic cancer. Expected results
These approaches will be developed based on large-scale transcrip-tome, genome and proteome analyses that have been performed by members of the consortium in recent years in two subsequent EU-funded concerted actions. Within these concerted actions, the relevant protocols and processes were optimised and adjusted between the partners and common standards, as well as establishing a network of clinicians, clinical research and basic research groups. From this basis, novel molecular techniques will be developed for the detection of cancer cells or preneoplastic cells in minimal amounts of clinical tissue (fine needle biopsies) or fluid (pancreatic/duodenal juice or serum) samples. Acronym: MolDiag-Paca
Project number: LSHB-CT-2006-018771
EC contribution: € 8 500 000
Duration: 36 months
Starting date: anticipated 01/05/2006
Instrument: IP
Coordinator
Hans-Dieter Pohlenz
Schering AG
Thomas Gress
Division of Gastroenterology and Endocrinology Department of Internal Medicine Ian Fleming
Dundee, United KingdomE-mail: ifleming@cyclacel.com Partners
Helmut Friess
Sven Reske
Medical Faculty, Abteilung Al gemein-, Viszeral- und Unfal chirurgie Medical Faculty, Abteilung Nuklearmedizin E-mail: helmut_friess@med.uni-heidelberg.de G. Klöppel
John Neoptolemos
John Ultram
Nicholas Lemoine
Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre Barts and The London Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and DentistryLondon, United Kingdom C. Bremer
University Hospital of MünsterDepartment of Clinical Radiology Jörg Hoheisel
Functional Genome AnalysisHeidelberg, Germany Eckhardt Neuhaus
Francisco X. Real and Nuria Malats
Fundació IMIMInstitut Municipal d’Investigació Mèdica Taavi Einaste
Tartu, Estonia E-mail: taavi@asperbio.com Aldo Scarpa and Claudi Bassi
University of Verona
Johan Permert
Department for Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology Stockholm, SwedenE-mail: johan.permert@cfss.ki.se Stephan Hahn
University of Bochum, Medical Faculty
Jens von Kries and Jörg Rademann
Zentrum für Klinische Forschung, Molecular-GI-Oncology Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie Berlin, GermanyE-mail: kries@fmp-berlin.de; rademann@fmp-berlin.de

Source: ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/lifescihealth/docs/canpr408_en.pdf