Cross-border cooperation to foster the resilience of clinical management in cancer patients by establishing best practices in personalized molecular-based diagnostics, treatment, and long-term care
Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A IPA Romania SerbiaDescription
Extended capabilities of Expert System Software(EN)
Thematic information
Priority:
(VI-A_RO-SR_2) Social and economic developmentPriority specific objective:
RSO4.5. Ensuring equal access to health care and fostering resilience of health systems, including primary care, and promoting the transition from institutional to family-based and community-based carePriority policy objective (Interreg specific objective):
PO4 A more social and inclusive Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social RightsType of intervention:
129 Health equipmentPartners (2)
Lead Partner: Spitalul Clinic Județean de Urgență „Pius Brînzeu” Timișoara
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 895586451
Partner’s ID if not PIC: 4663448 | N/A | N/A (EN)
Department: OncoGen Centre
Address: Liviu Rebreanu, 300723 Timișoara, Romania
Department address: Liviu Rebreanu, 300723 Timișoara, Romania
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Hospitals and medical centres
Website: http://hosptm.ro
Total budget: EUR 1 130 298.73
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 960 753.92
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 169 544.81
Contractors:
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Name: SC ATEM WIN GROUP SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: 45024840 -
Name: SC TECH SUPPORT SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: RO22301403 -
Name: SC URC XEDOS SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: 8977974 -
Name: SC EUROBIT SRL
VAT registration or tax identification number: 1825502
- Opšta bolnica Đorđe Jovanović Zrenjanin
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Name: Opšta bolnica Đorđe Jovanović Zrenjanin
PIC (Participant Identification Code): 105539565
Partner’s ID if not PIC: 105539565 | N/A | 08887535 (EN)
Address: Dr Vase Savića, 23000 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Department address: Dr Vase Savića, 23000 Zrenjanin, Serbia
Legal status: public
Organisation type: Hospitals and medical centres
Website: http://bolnica.org.rs/
Total budget: EUR 702 982.77
Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 597 535.35
Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%
Partner contribution: EUR 105 447.42
Contractors:
-
Name: Consulting Directions PR
VAT registration or tax identification number: 110074564 -
Name: JELENA PETROV PR KTIRIO VRŠAC
VAT registration or tax identification number: 114714205
-
Name: Consulting Directions PR
Partners map
Lead partner
Project partner
Summary
Project acronym: CROSSCARE
Project ID: RORS00040
Project start date: 2024-11-28
Project end date: 2026-11-27
Project status:
ongoingRelevant linked projects:
- Romania-Serbia joint initiative against cancer in cross-border region: improved diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors (ROSECAN) project, eMS code RORS-193, Interreg IPA CBC Romania – Serbia 2014 – 2020 Programme (EN) | The current project builds on the experience gained in the ROSECAN project through which the OncoGen Centre of the Emergency Clinical County Hospital Timisoara was endowed with IT and medical equipment needed to implement the precise diagnostics in cancer achieved by using the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. The General Hospital “Đorđe Joanović'” Zrenjanin benefited from the ROSECAN project, through the participation of Serbian Ministry of Health, one of the project partners. Likewise, other 11 hospitals in Serbian programme area benefited of the ROSECAN project results together with two hospitals in Romania. This made it possible to create a network of 15 hospitals in the cross-border region which will be used in the current project in order to disseminate existing and new knowledge in the field of Oncology, particularly the precise, molecular-based diagnostics in cancer.
- During the ROSECAN project implementation, the OncoGen medical researchers performed NGS on 50 tumor tissue samples. Other tests were also performed and the results of all analyses were introduced in the Expert System Software, a new and customised tool developed in the ROSECAN project. It is intended to further develop the Expert System Software in this project and to use it to analyse 300 more tumor tissue and cell samples with the aim to identify a common tumor target, i.e. the most common mutated genes leading to malignancies in the cross-border region.
- This project will use the equipment purchased in both projects and the Expert System Software, therefore continuing the work and extending the scope of the ROSECAN project results. Medical activities performed by both partners will benefit a greater number of patients who will have access to the investments made in both projects. Finally, a set of important medical and scientific data will be available in view of implementing the precise diagnostics and treatment in the cross-border region and beyond. (EN), Oncoimmunotherapy with Natural Killers cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-NK); POC 92/09/09/2016; ID: P_37_786; MySMIS code: 103662 (EN) | CAR-NK was the first Romanian project that advances the genetic engineering of cells of the immune system for the treatment of cancer. More specifically, Natural Killer (NK) cells, a particular type of white blood cells, normally responsible for eliminating emerging tumor cells, are armed with new genes encoding chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that specifically bind molecules expressed by tumor cells surface. CARs are hybrid molecules that usually comprise different parts, mandatory being the targeting module for specific tumor antigen and intracellular modules that activate cytotoxic cellular pathways upon binding to the intended target. As certain types of cancers can express particular targets on their surface, immune cells such as NK or T cells can be modified to recognize and attack a specific type of malignant cell.
- The overarching aim of the project was to develop in Romania, through in-house and international expertise, research and innovation-development as well as treatment capacities in the field of onco-immunology. The operational objectives of the project were to develop advanced personalized immunotherapies for various types of cancer based on CAR-NK cells and to create the first “off the shelf” human CAR-NK cell bank.
- Through the present project we intend to identify novel targets on tumor cells, using the next generation sequencing, which can be further used in different immunotherapies to fight cancer, including NK-based autologous therapies (CAR construction). Moreover, CROSSCARE project aims to establish the immune status of oncologic patients, with main focus on cells with anti-tumor activities, such as T and NK cells. We will use our previous knowledge on NK and T cells to better characterize the function of these cells and to envision the anti-tumor role of these cellular population in overall immune response in cancer. (EN), 3D Bioprinting Techniques for Building Tissue Constructs that Mimic the Tumor Microenvironment (DeLIMIT); project code PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2016-1422; 100PED/2017 (EN) | This project aimed to to build three-dimensional (3D) tissue constructs that mimic the tumor microenvironment. 3D constructs included a multicellular system whose structure resembles the tumor, and a layer of cells and extracellular matrix, which represents the tumor's vicinity. To build such tissue constructs, we relied on three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, a domain of bottom-up tissue engineering. We developed models of 3D tumors in their environment, and validated them by morphological, phenotypic, genotypic and functional characterization. The project used two cell sources for microtissue printing: a standard cell culture line, and primary tumor cells. While the first option is more reproducible, the second might lead to a more realistic model of a tumor. For each cell type, we tested two methods of additive manufacturing: cell-laden hydrogel bioprinting and cell aggregate bioprinting. The obtained tumor models were validated in immunosuppressed nude mice. The bioprinted tissue constructs were ranked according to their ability to mimic the secretory behavior of in vivo tumors. Upon validation, the project's results could be applicable in the area of cancer therapy: the 3D tumor models will be used for personalized drug-design studies, in studies of tumor development, and in translational research that seeks to transfer in vitro results to in vivo clinical applications in a broad area of cancer therapy.
- Within CROSSCARE we aim to analyze patient-derived immune and tumor microenvironment cells, so as to better understand the interaction between these cellular population, which is highly important for the anti-tumor response to targeted or conventional therapies. Apart from providing the patients and oncologists with full reports related to mutation-based therapies and immune status, identification of novel targets on tumor microenvironment cells could have a major impact on selecting the appropriate personalized therapy for the patients with solid tumors. (EN), Tumor-associated fibroblasts as novel therapeutic target in anti-tumor therapy – identification of origin, role and characteristic molecular markers; project code PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0455; 318/2011 (EN) | Microenvironment has a key role in tumor development, so that identification of stromal targets for cancer therapeutics is of great interest and could provide strategies that will complement therapies directed against cancer cells. The failure of immune surveillance to prevent tumor development and the observation that effective therapies can become ineffective over time suggest that mechanisms exist, whereby tumors can escape the immune system. Tumor associated fibroblasts (TAFs), potentially originating from recruitment of resident tissue stem cells, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or epithelial to mesenchymal transition within tumors, are important for tumor progression, providing both functional and structural supportive environment. The true origin, role, and biological characteristics of TAFs are not fully understood yet. The main objective of this project was to fully characterize TAFs obtained from solid tumors, to establish their origin and role within the tumor stroma. MSCs were used as normal/precursor cells to which the TAFs will be compared in order to identify specific marker, which would be used as target in prospective anti-tumor therapy designs. Cellular therapies in vitro prototype proposed by this project involves enhancement of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) functionally active against TAF-derived specific antigen.
- In the present project proposal we will anlyze the tumor microenvironment cells derived from the patients with solid tumors, especially tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs), with the purpose to identify a common antigen on these cells, which could become a generic therapeutic target in all solid tumors. With the use of NGS and spectral flowcytometric approaches, based on the methodology previously established, the analysis could go deeper and be more accurate in providing a therapeutic orientation for oncologic patients. (EN), Genetic engineering of tumor stem cells for modulation of immune response in non-viral cancer (ONCOSTEM), Programme PNCDI II-Partnerships, Project number: 41-019/2007 (EN) | The main objectives and results obtained within this project were as follows: isolation of a tumoral subpopulation capable of re-editation of tumor genesis; correlations with different stages and neoplasic types; phenotypic and genic expression of tumor stem cells (TSC); identification of signaling pathways involved in tumoral development of TSC and comparison to proliferation mechanisms of normal stem cells; obtaining genetic transformed cells in order to be recognized and attacked by immune system or differentiated towards a non-tumoral phenotype; quantification of anti-tumoral immunity modulation using genetic engineering techniques developed on animal model; development and patent of a controllable in vivo transfection method on animal model.
- Synergic with the ONCOSTEM project, the present project proposal is proposing activities of genic expression quantitation and identification of genomic alterations which are amenable to known novel thrapies, or which can become target for immunotherapies to be developed. We will be able to stratify the tumor cells based on their genomic signature and subgroup them in TSC or other tumor cells. Moreover, the signaling pathways of the altered genes can also be targeted by different chemotherapeutic or small molecules inhibitors, resulting in decreased proliferation and development of the tumors as a whole (already existing in clinical practice are mutation-based molecules - kinase inhibitors, e.g.: lapatinib, pazopanib, alpelisib, etc.). (EN)
Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 833 281.50
Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 558 289.27
Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 85.00%
Co-financing sources:
- IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 1 558 289.27. Co-financing rate, 85.00%.
Investments, deliverables, policy contributions
(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)
Deliverables:
Contribution to wider strategies and policies:
Deliverable (other than infrastructural investment) areas:
Programme Output Indicator:
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PSO 03 - Investments in health care, family-based and community-based care services, Measurement unit: investments
Programme Result Indicator:
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PSR 03 - Annual users of the supported investments in health care, family-based and community-based care services, Measurement unit: users/year
Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR
Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project
Financing programme
2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A IPA Romania Serbia
Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme
2025-09-26
No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)
32 / 32 (100%)
No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)
91 / 91 (100%)
Notes on the data