Dr Caroline Curtin from RCSI Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Research Group has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant of €2 million to develop a novel technology that will revolutionise the treatment of primary bone cancers.

The five-year PANACEA project will combine treatment of the cancer and promotion of bone repair using a graphene oxide-based biomaterial scaffold. This therapy could revolutionise bone cancer treatment.

Primary bone cancers are aggressive cancers that usually develop during childhood and adolescence. These malignant tumours can be treated with a mixed approach of surgery and chemotherapy, however, to date no effective targeted therapies have been developed and survival rates have not improved. Additionally, these cancers often affect large areas of bone, making it difficult for the bone to repair itself and impacting the quality of life for patients.

Speaking on the announcement, Dr Caroline Curtin from RCSI's Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Research Group (TERG), said: “I am delighted to receive an ERC Consolidator Grant to develop this next-generation therapy for primary bone cancers, which often affect children and adolescents. This transformative technology will provide a highly targeted anti-cancer treatment option for these aggressive and malignant cancers, while also promoting bone repair. With development of this therapy, we aspire to improve outcomes for these young patients and improve their quality of life following their treatment.”

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI, welcomed the announcement: “I am delighted to extend my congratulations to Dr Curtin for this achievement. ERC awards represent the highest level of prestige and the most highly competitive awards in Europe. Her success in this programme reflects the excellent quality of Dr Curtin’s research and the RCSI research landscape that empowers our researchers to tackle the greatest challenges in modern healthcare. The PANACEA project will provide a welcome advancement in bone cancer therapy and is a strong example of the medical innovation that RCSI supports. It’s also a great example of RCSI’s commitment to supporting career development for early career researchers – Caroline first came to RCSI as a postdoc on an ERC funded project in the RCSI TERG and it’s a pleasure to see the growth of her career as an independent PI.”

The ERC Consolidator Grants are one of the four grant schemes offered by the ERC and are highly competitive awards. With funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, these awards empower researchers who are consolidating their own independent research groups and support their careers at this crucial stage. This year 349 grants were funded across 25 EU member states and associated countries, with awards totalling a record amount of €728m.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said: ‘Congratulations to all the researchers on winning the ERC grants. The record budget of €728m invested to support these scientific projects shows the EU is serious about making the continent attractive for excellent researchers.”