Manuela Baccarini focuses on novel approaches for cancer treatment
02. Juni 2009Manuela Baccarini (Download see below)
EC funds INFLA-CARE, an international 12-million-Euro research project Manuela Baccarini, appointed professor for Cell Signaling at the Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics at the Centre for Molecular Biology at the University of Vienna (Max F. Perutz Laboratories) in June 2009, participates in the EC-project "INFLA-CARE". The Max F. Perutz Laboratories are one of the 21 partner institutions from Europe and Israel. This consortium brings together world-class experts in cancer biology, medicine and biotechnology, and aims at understanding how chronic inflammation in the body can lead to the development of malignancies such as liver or colon cancer. Additionally, the research programme will also lead to the development of novel approaches for cancer treatment. The research project has been awarded a 12 million Euro grant by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for a time-period of four years.
"This EC grant allows the collaboration of renowned experts in the relevant disciplines. We are aiming at the fastest possible advance in the understanding of inflammatory processes and of their relevance for cancer. At the same time, INFLA-CARE is looking for new approaches for the prevention, early diagnosis, and therapy or inflammation-associated malignancies", says Manuela Baccarini. According to the molecular biologist, the collaboration among biology, medicine and biotechnology will be instrumental in reaching the ambitious aims of the project. 21 institutions from Europe and Israel participate in the EC-research project INFLA-CARE (Inflammation and Cancer Research in Europe).
EC research funding
The collaboration is coordinated by Dr. Aristides Eliopoulos from Heraklion, Greece. Austria is represented by the University of Vienna (with Manuela Baccarini) and by the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology IMBA (with Josef Penninger). The research group of Manuela Baccarini at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories at the Campus Vienna Biocenter investigates the MAP Kinase signal transduction pathway and its influence on tumour development. The pathway plays an important role in embryonic development as well as in cell differentiation, growth and programmed death. Accordingly, mutations in the pathway may lead to cancer. Manuela Baccarini investigates the role of the pathway in cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms in several research projects, supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF and the EC. Already in the Sixth Framework Programme Baccarini was successful within the Research networks (projects "Intact" and "Growthstop"); with INFLA-CARE she now receives funding from the Seventh Framework Programme.
The Max F. Perutz Laboratories are a joint-venture of the University of Vienna and the Medical University, founded 2005. This inter-university collaboration is a new and innovative approach to strengthen research and education at both universities. The 60 research groups at the institute in the Dr.-Bohr-Gasse work in the area of molecular cell biology. Since 2007 the Scientific Director of the institute is Graham Warren, a biochemist and former Yale-professor. www.mfpl.ac.at
Scientific Contact
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Manuela Baccarini
Max F. Perutz Laboratories
University of Vienna
1030 Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9
Austria
T +43-1-4277-546 07
manuela.baccarini(at)univie.ac.at
http://www.mfpl.ac.at/index.php?cid=75
Contact
Dr. Lisa Cichocki
Communications
Max F. Perutz Laboratories
University of Vienna
1030 Vienna, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9
Austria
T +43-1-4277-24014
lisa.cichocki(at)mfpl.ac.at
www.mfpl.ac.at