Project Acronym: STEPUPIORS
Project title: Twinning for a European Consortium of Rectal Cancer Research Institutions through Stepping Up Scientific, Technological and Innovation Excellence of IORS
Project ID/Number:101079217
Project PI and Coordinating Institution: Milena Cavic, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia
Funding Institution: European Research Executive Agency, European Commission
Call Information: Horizon Europe Framework Programme, HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03-01 – Twinning
Fields of Science: Medical and Health sciences, Clinical Medicine, Translational Oncology

Consortium/Participating Institutions:

Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia – coordinator
T
he Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoekziekenhuis – partner
The Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens – partner
Fundació de RecercaClínic Barcelona-Institutd’InvestigacionsBiomèdiques August Pi iSunyer– partner
Hospital Clinic de Barcelona – affiliated partner

Grant Duration: 36 months

Budget: 1,500,000.00 €

Project Abstract:

Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or rectum and usually develops over time from precancerous polyps. Standard of treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) involves neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgical resection of the tumor. However, clinical response to nCRT varies from complete clinical response to a lack of response. The mission of the EU-funded STEPUPIORS project is to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers in LARC by analyzing the molecular profile of patients at diagnosis and during treatment. Given that colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy worldwide, the results aim to support evidence-based patient selection and modification of current treatment protocols, thus minimizing adverse effects and overall treatment cost, and improving patients’ quality of life. Project objectives include:

• Determining the molecular profile of response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer through a newly formed rectal cancer consortium with complementary expertise.
• Strengthening the research, management and administrative abilities of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia (IORS) located in Belgrade, Serbia along with the establishment of a rectal cancer biobank.
• Establishing a long-lasting knowledge, personnel, and sample exchange between partner institutions in the rectal cancer consortium.

Website: www.stepupiors.eu

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Contact for Collaborations: stepupiors@gmail.com