FANTOM · Future of ALCL: Novel Therapies, Origins, Bio-Markers and Mechanism of resistance

The FANTOM Doctoral Network (DN) composed of 7 beneficiaries and 12 associated partners in 5 EU countries, recruiting 10 researchers and will be embedded into an established international research programme: The European Research Initiative on Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK)-related malignancies (ERIA) as well as a clinical network: The European Intergroup for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (EICNHL). FANTOM will cosset and nurture the recruited researchers to become confident, competent, independent and well-connected European scientists with excellent career perspectives welcomed into these established networks. This will be achieved through a training programme conducted through research and complemented by a balanced programme of transferable skills designed with key input from both academic and industrial collaborators. The training of each fellow will be guided by an individual career development plan and supervised by a PhD committee with clearly allocated academic and industrial supervisors. The primary goal of the network is to train the recruited fellows by participation in an internationally competitive research programme and integrating them into the aforementioned networks. The research programme will address the clinical problems posed by Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) typified by aberrant ALK expression. Applying innovative model systems and multi-omics technologies, some performed to a single cell level, the biology of ALCL including the roles of the immune system and tumour stroma will be uncovered. These data will be applied to the development of (non-invasive) biomarkers and novel therapeutic approaches that will culminate in the design of clinical trials to address the issues of chemotherapy toxicity, over-treatment and drug resistance. The research and training activities will incorporate not only academic labs but also key research institutes, biotechnology companies, clinical trial bodies and Pharma to realise our research goals.