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DC-THERA<br />
Dendritic cells for novel immunotherapies<br />
Summary<br />
Dendritic cell (DC) immunobiology has enormous potential<br />
for the development of new immunotherapies for cancer<br />
and infectious disease. Europe possesses a critical mass of<br />
leaders in the fi eld who have pioneered many innovative<br />
advances and provided initial proof of principle for the<br />
approach. This Network of Excellent (NoE), DC-THERA, will<br />
integrate the activities of 26 participant groups of scientists<br />
and clinicians and six high quality SMEs across Europe.<br />
It will incorporate additional groups, particularly from<br />
future Member States, as associated members of the network.<br />
Their collective expertise and resources will be forged<br />
into an ambitious joint programme of activities to restructure<br />
the fi eld. It will translate genomic, proteomic and<br />
bioinformatic information, with knowledge from molecular<br />
cell biology and pre-clinical models, into therapeutic endpoints:<br />
clinical trials of DC-based therapies for cancer and<br />
HIV. To this end, four thematic S&T clusters have been<br />
defi ned, with a fi fth for horizontal activities. The latter<br />
includes development of synergistic links with other networks,<br />
providing benefi t to EC programmes by underpinning<br />
all projects developing new vaccine strategies for major<br />
killer diseases. The network will implement an IT-based<br />
integrated knowledge management system and provide<br />
a centralised European resource of databases for the fi eld.<br />
DC-THERA will develop new research tools, integrate existing<br />
and new technological platforms, recruit additional<br />
support staff , and make these available as shared resources<br />
for all partners. It will implement an ambitious Education<br />
and Training Programme, including new PhD studentships,<br />
a Visiting Scholars Scheme, high quality training courses,<br />
and a postgraduate degree in translational DC immunobiology.<br />
DC-THERA will contribute to the European<br />
biotechnology sector and have a major impact on European<br />
policy-making for the future. DC-THERA will evolve itself<br />
into a Centre of Excellence for DC Biology, with a lasting<br />
and global impact.<br />
Problem<br />
Dendritic cell (DC) immunobiology has enormous potential<br />
for the development of new immunotherapies for cancer<br />
and infectious disease. Europe possesses a critical mass of<br />
leaders in the fi eld but they are geographically dispersed<br />
with localised resources.<br />
182<br />
Keywords | Clinical trials | dendritic cell (DC) | genomics | HIV | immunotherapy | molecular cell biology |<br />
pre-clinical studies | proteomics |<br />
Aim<br />
This NoE, DC-THERA, will integrate the activities of 26 participant<br />
groups of scientists and clinicians and six high<br />
quality SMEs across Europe. It will incorporate additional<br />
groups as Associated Members of the Network. Their collective<br />
expertise and resources will be forged into an ambitious<br />
Joint Programme of Activities to restructure the fi eld.<br />
Expected results<br />
The Network will translate genomic, proteomic and bioinformatic<br />
information, with knowledge from molecular cell<br />
biology and pre-clinical models, into therapeutic endpoints:<br />
clinical trials of DC-based therapies for cancer and HIV.<br />
Coordinator<br />
Jonathan Austyn<br />
Nuffield Department of Surgery<br />
University of Oxford<br />
John Radcliffe Hospital<br />
Oxford, United Kingdom<br />
jon.austyn@nds.ox.ac.uk<br />
Partners<br />
Gordon G. MacPherson<br />
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology<br />
University of Oxford<br />
Oxford, United Kingdom<br />
gordon.macpherson@path.ox.ac.uk<br />
Vincenzo Cerundolo<br />
The Weatherall Institute<br />
of Molecular Medicine<br />
University of Oxford<br />
John Radcliffe Hospital<br />
Oxford, United Kingdom<br />
vincenzo.cerundolo@imm.ox.ac.uk<br />
Carl G. Figdor<br />
Gosse Adema<br />
Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences<br />
Radboud University Medical Centre<br />
Nijmegen, The Netherlands<br />
c.figdor@ncmls.ru.nl<br />
g.adema@ncmls.kun.nl<br />
Muriel Moser<br />
Université Libre de Bruxelles<br />
Brussels, Belgium<br />
mmoser@admin.ulb.ac.be<br />
Anne O’Garra<br />
The Medical <strong>Research</strong> Council<br />
National Institute for Medical <strong>Research</strong><br />
London, United Kingdom<br />
aogarra@nimr.mrc.ac.uk<br />
Francesca Granucci<br />
University of Milano-Bicocca<br />
Dept. of Biotechnology and Bioscience<br />
Milan, Italy<br />
Gerold Schuler<br />
Alexander Steinkasserer<br />
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität<br />
Erlangen-Nürnberg<br />
Dept. of Dermatology<br />
Erlangen, Germany<br />
alexander.steinkasserer@derma.imed.<br />
uni-erlangen.de<br />
Robert Coffin<br />
Biovex<br />
Abingdon, United Kingdom<br />
rcoffin@biovex.com<br />
Catherine De Greef<br />
Brucells SA<br />
Brussels, Belgium<br />
catherine.de.greef@brucells.com<br />
Ugo D’Oro<br />
Chiron Vaccine S.r.l.<br />
Siena, Italy<br />
ugo_doro@chiron.com<br />
CANCER RESEARCH PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME
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