Capacity strengthening to use proteins obtained from a Caribbean sea anemone in affordable novel imunotherapeutic strategies against cancer

Summary

Cancer is among the leading causes of death in Cuba. This project aims to develop a novel cancer experimental immunotherapy based on two proteins (sticholysins I and II, StI/II) obtained and characterized by the Cuban team from a Caribbean Sea anemone. StII induces the expression of biomarkers in several model tumour cell lines prompting their study as potential tools for novel therapeutic strategies against cancer. The collaboration with the top research group from UGent (Belgium) and other Belgian teams will allow a profound characterization of the impact of these molecules on the immune system as well as the training of Cuban scientists in the state-of-the-art methods of cancer immunotherapy.
 
Cuba has developed a strong and sustainable biotechnology industry with successful products in its healthcare system and Cuba is in the front of Latin America in the biomedical industry. Cuban products and medical services have been shared with its Latin-American peers and other countries of the South. The expertise develpoed along this project will be translated to the young Cuban Biopharmaceutical Industry and applied to products under development. This expertise will contribute not only to build sustainable capacities but also to attract new investments, and partners to develop joint research projects.
 
The overall goal is to strengthen training of gender balanced male and female researchers and complement institutional infrastructure capacities in biotechnology applications to improve health of the Cuban population and to stimulate sustainable eco-friendly (by producing these proteins recombinantly), circular bio-economy in Cuba. The uptake and outreach of the solutions here foreseen may improve local and international visibility of local institutions, reinforcing global citizenship while education, access to scientific advancement and its benefits, health and human welfare will be improved.

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