Glycoengineering for Immune Modulation in Precision Anti-Cancer Therapies

Objective

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate below 10% due to late diagnosis, immune exclusion, and resistance to existing immunotherapies. GlycoIMPACT tackles these challenges by developing an innovative glycan-based nanovaccine platform targeting tumor-specific glycopeptide neoantigens resulting from abnormal glycoproteomics signatures—markers absent in healthy tissues that enhance immune response specificity. The project has two core objectives. First, it aims to identify and prioritize novel immunogenic PDAC glycopeptides using advanced multi-omics data and computational tools that consider proteomics, glycan features, cellular localization, cancer relevance, and MHC-binding potential. Second, it focuses on engineering and testing targeted liposomal nanovaccines designed for precise delivery to epidermal Langerhans cells via a high-affinity glycomimetic ligand, triggering strong systemic and tissue-resident T-cell responses. The well-studied MUC1-Tn epitope serves as a benchmark to validate new vaccine candidates. Hosted at the University of Vienna (UNIVIE) with a secondment at the University of La Rioja (UR), the project integrates complementary expertise in nanomedicine, glycoimmunology, peptide synthesis, and computational biology. The researcher benefits from comprehensive training in synthesis, immunological assays, molecular simulations, and nanoparticle engineering, fully aligned with MSCA career development standards. A focused dissemination and exploitation plan supports translation to clinical applications and strengthens European leadership in glycoimmunotherapy. GlycoIMPACT combines interdisciplinary innovation with translational science, offering a promising strategy to overcome PDAC immunotherapy resistance. It empowers the researcher with advanced skills and lays the groundwork for novel cancer vaccines that could significantly improve patient outcomes.