Qualitative and quantitative analysis of factors contributing to apoptosis resistance in colorectal cancer:
Evaluation of new prognostic and therapeutic avenues

The APOCOLON project is a translational project that initially investigated the role of defective apoptosis signalling in CRC and tumor resistance, and builds on the expertise of the applicants in understanding apoptosis resistance at a qualitative and quantitative level. The project established the clinical APO-COLON biocollection at RCSI/Beaumont Hospital, and established the collaborative clinical network described in the current proposdal. It translated recent investigations of the applicants on the role of death receptors, caspases and Bcl-2/BH3 only proteins in tumour sensitivity, with the aim of identifying new prognostic markers for CRC and predicting sensitivity to new clinical treatment paradigms (TRAIL agonists, Bcl-2 antagonists). The project also included the first translation of computational models of caspase and apoptosis activation developed by the applicants to predict tumor responsiveness in patients presenting with CRC.

The project generated key clinical proof-of-concept data, including key publications in Cancer Research and leading gastroenterology journals. It was funded by HRB.