The ERC - European Research Council funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run frontier projects across Europe.
We are happy to announce that Dr. Nur MUSTAFAOGLU from Sabanci University Department of Molecular Biology, Genetics and Bioengineering has been selected for funding with a budget of 1.5 Million EUR in the ERC-2023-StG call under the Horizon Europe Programme.
We congratulate our eminent researcher and her host institution.
 | Dr. Nur MUSTAFAOĞLU ERC 2023 StG Principle Investigator Host Institution: Sabancı University Project Title: META-BRAIN: Deciphering METAstasis of lung cancer to BRAIN and developing new therapeutic approaches via a human metastatic cascade platform Project Budget: 1.5 Million € Panel: LS9 - Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering |
Dr. MUSTAFAOĞLU ve ekibi META-BRAIN Projesi kapsamında, akciğerden beyne kadar olan kanser hücrelerinin yolculuğunu kapsayan insan kökenli bir in vitro platformu oluşturmayı ve bunu üç temel soruyu ele almak için kullanmayı amaçlıyor: (1) Kanser nasıl beyine metastaz yapar? (2) Kan-beyin bariyerinin (BBB) kanser metastazındaki rolü nedir? ve (3) Kanser metastazı nasıl ve ne zaman tedavi edilebilir? META-BRAIN, fizyolojik açıdan uygun bir insan hücre tabanlı model geliştirerek bu sorulara yanıt vermeyi planlamakta. Proje kapsamında MUSTAFAOĞLU ve ekibi ilk kez tüm kanser metastaz kaskadını haritalayabilecek ve aynı zamanda kan-tümör bariyerinde (BTB) yeni hedef proteinleri inceleyebilecekler. Bu model aynı zamanda beyne ilaç taşıma için yeni taşıma sistemlerinin geliştirilmesinde de kullanılacaktır.
In META-BRAIN Project Dr. MUSTAFAOGLU and her team aim to establish a human-based in vitro platform that comprehensively replicates the journey of cancer cells from the lungs to the brain. This platform will be instrumental in addressing three pivotal questions: (1) What is the mechanism by which cancer metastasizes to the brain? (2) What role does the blood-brain barrier (BBB) play in cancer metastasis to the brain? and (3) How and when can we effectively treat cancer metastasis? By creating a physiologically relevant human cell-based model, META-BRAIN will, for the first time, delineate the entire cascade of cancer metastasis and enable the exploration of novel target proteins at the blood-tumor barrier (BTB). Additionally, this model will serve as the foundation for developing innovative shuttle systems designed for drug delivery to the brain.
MUSTAFAOGLU's project proposal was supported within the scope of TÜBİTAK's ERC Principal Investigator Advancement Program.
This project has become the first one supported from Turkiye in the "LS9 - Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering" panel. With this project, the number of ERC projects conducted or completed in Turkiye has reached 40.
You can send any questions and suggestions related to the ERC to us as TÜBİTAK ERC National Contact Points via the email address ncperc@tubitak.gov.tr.