ERC success for cutting-edge cancer research

Outstanding recognition for excellence in translational cancer research: Ekin Demir has been awarded a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant for the project SYNAPSE-ON-CANCER at the TUM Klinikum Rechts der Isar.

The project addresses a fascinating and clinically highly relevant question: Why does pancreatic cancer form synapse-like structures with nerve cells? Building on the groundbreaking discovery that pancreatic tumors exploit neuronal signals—such as glutamate—via so-called pseudosynapses to promote tumor growth, the research team will investigate how nerve cells infiltrate tumors, how neuronal cancer networks develop, and which molecular mechanisms drive these processes.

A key objective of SYNAPSE-ON-CANCER is to therapeutically block these tumor–nerve interactions, for example through innovative drug repurposing strategies. The project exemplifies how neurogastroenterology, oncology, surgery, and systems biology can be successfully integrated to develop new therapeutic approaches for one of the most aggressive forms of cancer.