Leading European institutes are combining their know-how to advance research into tumour biology, establishing an EU-funded network that promises to contribute to the development of new treatments, insights and technologies to combat cancer.
© science photo #190278636, source: fotolia.com 2018
It is estimated that cancer affects four out of every 10 Europeans at some point in their life. The RETUBI initiative brings together major cancer research institutes in France, Germany and Portugal to strengthen Europe’s capacity for cutting-edge research in tumour biology, laying the foundations for future innovations in treating the disease.
A series of events and interactions, from workshops and summer schools to staff exchanges and training activities, are providing channels for knowledge and innovation transfer, promoting the sharing of know-how in research excellence and cutting-edge technologies to tackle current and future challenges in tumour biology.
In particular, the project will strengthen the scientific and innovative capacity of cancer research at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, a leading private non-profit institute in Lisbon, Portugal, focusing on nurturing innovative ideas in basic, clinical and translational biomedical research.
As a result of knowledge exchanges in RETUBI, the institute expects to increase research output across multiple indicators by 30 % by 2020. This includes more publications in top peer-reviewed scientific journals, raising the number of citations and a greater presence at key scientific meetings. The project will therefore bolster the institute’s scientific and innovation capacity and increase its international visibility and collaborations.
More broadly, training for young researchers and knowledge sharing within the project will strengthen Europe’s overall capacity for cutting-edge cancer research.
RETUBI is a twinning project under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. Working with the RETUBI partners – the Institut Curie in Paris, Europe’s largest cancer research centre, and the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum in Heidelberg, the largest cancer research institute in Germany – the Portuguese institute is setting up a dynamic cluster of excellence in the Lisbon region, focusing on studies of cancer stem cells, cancer signalling, cancer invasion and metastasis, and tumour angiogenesis.
