Prostate cancer, 1 million for Italian-led research with patient 'avatars' to stop the disease and choose the right drug
Irccs in Candiolo is coordinating the Metapro project, which uses lab-grown mini-tumours that faithfully replicate the characteristics of the original cancer, allowing treatments to be tested in a safe and highly predictive environment
by Sabrina Arena *
Key points
Identifying new strategies to block the progression of prostate cancer and, above all, understanding in advance which drug will work on each individual patient. These, in a nutshell, are the objectives of Metapro, the new international research project involving Finland, Germany and the United Kingdom that aims to revolutionise the treatment of one of the most common male cancers.
The coordination of this scientific challenge was entrusted to Irccs di Candiolo, which won the EP PerMed Joint Transnational Call 2025, overcoming a very tough selection (only 22 projects were funded out of 110 submitted across Europe). The project was awarded EUR 1,078,887 with Irccs di Candiolo playing a central role in international oncological research.
The project
Every year there are more than 41,000 new cases of prostate cancer in Italy, accounting for more than 20% of male malignancies. Initially curable, they develop resistance to conventional therapies over time. Metapro was created to break this mechanism through three key objectives: to map resistance, i.e. to decipher the molecular and metabolic mechanisms that allow the tumour to 'escape' drugs; to use pharmacogenomics to identify drug combinations that, acting together on specific weaknesses in the tumour DNA, destroy cancer cells surgically and without damaging healthy ones; and to test these strategies on ultra-precise models to ensure that research results translate rapidly into benefits for the patient.
Organids in the field
To achieve these aims, the project will use one of the most advanced technologies available to the Irccs of Candiolo: organoids: i.e. true 'avatars' of the patient, i.e. mini-tumours cultivated in the laboratory that faithfully replicate the characteristics of the original cancer, making it possible to test treatments in a safe and highly predictive environment. Confirming the project's strong social impact, Metapro sees the active participation of Europa Uomo, the leading European network of patient associations. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Health and international collaboration, we will be able to offer new hope to patients with advanced forms of cancer, bringing precision medicine directly to the bedside.
* Head of the Translational Cancer Genetics laboratory at Irccs di Candiolo
