Alexandre Detappe receives a selective European grant to enhance immunotherapy

The ERC (European Research Council) Proof of Concept grant awarded to Alexandre Detappe (Gustave Roussy/Institut Strauss/Université Paris-Saclay/Inserm) will fund the Nano-BITE project, which aims to improve the ability of the immune system to fight solid tumors through nanomedicine. The goal is to develop a new generation of immunotherapies that are more targeted, more effective and better tolerated. Alexandre Detappe’s project is among the 182 projects selected across Europe (including 18 in France) to receive ERC Proof of Concept funding, a highly selective and competitive scheme. This recognition highlights the excellence and strong innovation potential of his work.

Alexandre Detappe, Head of the Nanomedicine Team at Gustave Roussy (Inserm U1363, Université Paris-Saclay) and Nanomedicine laboratory at Institut Strauss, and holder of the Gustave Roussy Foundation Chair of Excellence in Nanotherapy, has been awarded an ERC Proof of Concept grant for his Nano-BITE project.

Awarded by the European Research Council (ERC), this funding is reserved for researchers who have previously received an ERC grant (ERC Starting Grant). Its purpose is to support the maturation and valorization of promising scientific results in order to facilitate their transfer into practical applications. With funding of €150,000 over 18 months, the grant will enable the next stage in the development of an innovative immunotherapy approach based on nanomedicine.

Overcoming the barriers to immunotherapy for solid tumors

Immunotherapy has profoundly transformed the treatment of many cancers by mobilizing the immune system against tumor cells. Despite these advances, its effectiveness remains limited in many solid tumors.

Two major obstacles remain. First, it is often difficult to attract sufficient immune cells to the tumor site. Second, these cells struggle to remain durably active within a particularly hostile tumor microenvironment. These limitations reduce treatment effectiveness and may require repeated administrations, increasing the risk of side effects.

Nano-BITE: using nanomedicine to direct and sustain the immune response

To address these challenges, the Nano-BITE project is developing nanoparticles capable of acting directly within the tumor microenvironment. The objective is to promote interactions between immune cells and cancer cells while maintaining a durable antitumor response.

This approach could make it possible to concentrate therapeutic activity at the tumor site while limiting effects on healthy tissues.

“With Nano-BITE, we aim to harness the potential of nanomedicine to make immunotherapy more precise and more effective against solid tumors. This prestigious funding will enable us to take a decisive step toward validating this innovative approach,” explains Alexandre Detappe.

Over the next 18 months, the ERC-funded work will provide the first preclinical validations of this technology and prepare its next stages of development. Ultimately, this strategy could pave the way for new treatments for patients with solid tumors, drawing in particular on the expertise of Gustave Roussy’s Department of Therapeutic Innovation and Early Phase Trials (DITEP).

ERC Proof of Concept Grant #101335332