SPACETIME, a consortium project written by Dutch scientists dr. Febe van Maldegem and dr. Marieke Fransen has received a European Grant of 12 million euros in the EU Mission on Cancer call; Fundamental cancer research will be performed for 5 years by 15 partners in 7 European countries.

The goal of the EU Mission on Cancer call is to improve the lives of over 3 million people before 2030 by prevention, cure (or improved treatment) and better quality of life for cancer patients and their loved ones.

The SPACETIME project covers this mission by gathering knowledge on the development of the lung cancer microenvironment, over the next 5 years. The tumor microenvironment is the complex of cancerous cells, immune cells and other supporting cells that are present within tumors. The composition of this microenvironment can be a determinant of the response to the therapy, such as immune therapy. To better understand the development of this very complex composition, the partners within the SPACETIME consortium will use technologically advanced methods to analyze biopsies from lung cancer patients from early stage through to late-stage disease, as well as samples from relevant animal models of these disease stages. The data acquired will be processed using computer models to extract recurring patterns. These patterns will then be tested for their relevance in certain types of cancer treatment. This type of research is only possible through close collaboration of many researchers from various scientific backgrounds, which has been established within the SPACETIME consortium. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop knowledge that will enable physicians to predict which treatment will have the best chance of effectivity for each patient.

Scientist involved in the SPACETIME project from National Institute of Biology, are;

• DAssist. Prof. Barbara Breznik, PhD
• Assist. Prof. Metka Novak, PhD
• Bernarda Majc, PhD
• Anamarija Habič, MSc
• Tina Kolenc Milavec, MSc
• Simona Katrin Galun, MSc