ERC Proof of Concept 2022-2 results: 1 project funded in Cyprus

The Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) would like to congratulate Dr Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering of the University of Cyprus and Head of the Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, for receiving funding under the second 2022 call for proposals of the European Research Council Proof of Concept scheme (ERC-2022-PoC2). ERC Proof of Concept is part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation 2021-2027.

It should be noted that this is the second ERC Proof of Concept that Dr Stylianopoulos receives within 2022 and overall his 5th ERC grant, as he has already received an ERC Starting Grant, an ERC Consolidator Grant and overall three ERC Proof of Concept Grants, with an overall budget of 4 million euros.

ERC grants are among the most competitive grants in Europe and are considered a scientific excellence label globally. The ERC was founded by the EU in 2007 as the top funding organisation for supporting frontier research and has funded more than 10.000 excellent researchers.

This new project of Dr Stylianopoulos is entitled «Live biotherapeutics to potentiate cancer immunotherapy» and aims to optimise immunotherapy methods in breast and colon cancers, using specially programmed bacteria. These bacteria aim at the targeted readjustment of the microenvironment of the cancerous tumor, by reducing hyaluronic acid levels, so that the immunotherapy can work. The new strategic treatment of cancerous tumors will be carried out in a preclinical stage, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Neobe Therapeutics based in London. The results of the project aim to lead to the implementation of the new therapeutic strategies at the clinical stage.

Overall, ERC announced the funding of 55 researchers with €8,25 million, that implement or have recently completed an ERC project (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, Synergy), in order to investigate how to bring an idea that has resulted from their project, closer to the market.

The full list of funded projects under call ERC PoC 2022-2, is presented in the link below: Funded PoC projects

For more information, please contact the National Contact Point for ERC in Horizon Europe, Ms Katerina Karakasidou ([email protected], tel 22205036).

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