Gl.EXO: Innovative tools to detect Glioblastoma (GBM) exosomes

Programme(s): H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility

Topic(s): MSCA-IF-2019 - Individual Fellowships

Call for proposal: H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

Funding Scheme: MSCA-IF-EF-SE - Society and Enterprise panel

Grant agreement ID: 891551

Project description:

Insight into glioblastoma exosomes

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with pleiotropic functions in the human body. They are now emerging as important elements in cancer progression and metastasis through the modulation of the tumour microenvironment, angiogenesis and immune escape. Various reports underline the potential of exosomes as diagnostic and predictive biomarkers for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive type of brain cancer. The aim of the EU-funded Gl.EXO project is to detect and characterise the cargo of GBM exosomes. For this purpose, scientists will develop nucleic acid-based aptamers as innovative tools. Finally, by inhibiting exosome uptake, they plan to decipher the role of exosomes in GBM biology.

Objective

“Gl.EXO” is about innovative tools to detect Glioblastoma (GBM) exosomes and to have a timely, accurate and non-invasive diagnosis of GBM. Several studies have underlined the role of exosome cell–cell communication in different tumour types, including GBM, suggesting their potential use as diagnostic/prognostic/predictive biomarkers and therapeutic agents. In fact, evidences have demonstrated that the release of GBM exosomes plays a key role in cancer growth and progression by modulating tumor microenviroment and affecting angiogenesis, tumour migration, immune escape and drug resistance. However, GBM exosomes-enriched proteins characterization started only since few years and studies still lack informations on GBM exosomes cargo and their impact on cancer progression. Moreover, the identification of specific biomarkers able to discriminate between cancer exosomes from normal exosomes and tools for their detection are necessary and still unknown. Therefore, by inhibiting GBM exosomes uptake, “Gl.EXO” will contribute to hamper GBM progression in many cancer aspects. To address this issue, “Gl.EXO” aims to use nucleic acid-based aptamers as innovative tools to detect specifically GBM exosomes.