Development of innovative cancer therapies, international project

Contributing to targeting the mechanisms underlying tumours and chronic inflammation through the development of new technologies based on oligonucleotides, short gene sequences of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). This is the goal of the international On-Tract project, which will involve the University of Udine for four years alongside 15 other European partners, including 10 universities, a hospital, four companies and a non-profit organisation. The consortium has obtained €4.4 million in funding from the European Horizon programme – “Marie Skłodowska-Curie”. The University of Friuli, which has received a contribution of €281,000, is involved with a research group from the Department of Medicine coordinated by Carlo Vascotto, professor of molecular biology. The research, with an interdisciplinary approach, aims to develop innovative cancer therapies for personalised medicine based on oligonucleotides. In addition, it will train 14 PhD students in an international academic, clinical and industrial context with the aim of making cancer therapies more effective, safer and more accessible. The project, entitled “Oligonucleotide technologies for rapid advancement of cancer therapies”, is coordinated by the University of Southampton (United Kingdom).