Light Meets Precision:
EIC Pathfinder Project SCALPEL Pioneering a Revolutionary Photoimmunotherapy for Cancer
Theo Theodossiou, Project coordinator
In a groundbreaking effort to revolutionise modern oncology, the SCALPEL project launches a Europe wide initiative aimed at redefining cancer treatment by using light to precisely ‘click’ tags to cancer cells, enabling the immune system to recognise and destroy them with unparalleled accuracy. Project coordinator is Theo Theodossiou, head of the Protonics project group at the Department of Radiation Biology at OUH.
The multidisciplinary initiative funded by the European Innovation Council Pathfinder programme under Horizon Europe with a total budget of more than EUR 4 million aims to revolutionise modern oncology offering new hope for millions worldwide.
From major journals, first or last author from the Institute for Cancer Research
Unal B, Saatcioglu F(2025) Targeting the unfolded protein response for cancer therapy: mitigating tumor adaptation and immune suppression Biomark Res, 13(1), 156 DOI 10.1186/s40364-025-00813-y, PubMed 41372991
Pinto R, Sjurgard IV, Pharo H, Mala T, Vedeld HM, Lind GE(2025) Molecular stratification of esophageal adenocarcinoma: implications for prognosis and treatment strategy Oncogene(in press) DOI 10.1038/s41388-025-03650-3, PubMed 41361079
Lapão A, Johnson LS, Trachsel-Moncho L, Rodgers SJ, Singh S, Ng MYW, Nakken S, Eskelinen EL, Simonsen A(2025) The RAB27A effector SYTL5 regulates mitophagy and mitochondrial metabolism Elife, 14 DOI 10.7554/eLife.105541, PubMed 41294009
Emaldi M, Rey-Iborra E, Alamillo-Maeso P, Pulido R, Nunes-Xavier CE(2026) Analysis of the Functional Impact of Glycosylation on Immune Checkpoint Proteins Methods Mol Biol, 2959, 55-72 DOI 10.1007/978-1-0716-4734-9_4, PubMed 41028258
Rey-Iborra E, Emaldi M, Madariaga M, Pulido R, Nunes-Xavier CE(2026) 3D Spheroids to Study the Impact of Immune Checkpoint Proteins in Solid Tumors Methods Mol Biol, 2959, 141-156 DOI 10.1007/978-1-0716-4734-9_10, PubMed 41028264
Pharo H, Brandt-Winge S, Thorkildsen EM, Vedeld HM, Lind GE(2026) DNA Methylation Analyses of Tissue Samples and Cell-Free DNA by Droplet Digital PCR Methods Mol Biol, 2969, 179-193 DOI 10.1007/978-1-0716-4767-7_12, PubMed 41073866