The leader of the winning project in the 2017 Special Project Competition is the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment in Milan, with a budget of almost €1.5 million. The project partners are the University of Milan, Milan General Hospital, Humanitas, and the University of Insubria.
On March 30, 2018, the Regional Foundation for Biomedical Research closed its new call for proposals entitled SPECIAL PROJECT CALL 2017 ON ASBESTOS-RELATED DISEASES.
The call is dedicated to the study of diseases caused by exposure to asbestos, a problem that closely affects the Lombardy Region. Asbestos fibers are so thin that they can be inhaled and deposited in tissues, causing various diseases associated with the respiratory system, some of which are very serious, such as lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, or pleural mesothelioma. The latter is a very aggressive malignant tumor, and survival is usually around one year after diagnosis, with no truly effective cure.
Lombardy, with Regional Law No. 17 of September 29, 2003, established the Lombardy Regional Asbestos Plan (PRAL), which mandates the removal of materials containing asbestos. Despite these measures, Lombardy remains the region with the highest number of cases of pleural mesothelioma: of the 21,463 cases reported between 1993 and 2012, 4,215 were diagnosed in Lombardy, corresponding to approximately 19% of the total; even worse, given the long latency period, which can be as long as 20-40 years, it is estimated that the peak incidence of mesothelioma will be between 2020 and 2025.
It is therefore important to continue investing in research for the development and improvement of appropriate therapies with a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together scientists with different areas of expertise (immunologists, geneticists, biochemists) to identify the mechanisms underlying asbestos-related diseases and extract information that can lead to the creation of an effective treatment protocol to significantly increase the survival and quality of life of patients affected by these diseases. In support of this objective, the Regional Foundation for Biomedical Research has allocated a total of €1.5 million in its 2017 Action Plan for a competitive call for proposals open to projects submitted by partnerships consisting of a minimum of three and a maximum of five research groups affiliated with Lombardy-based institutions.
The projects received are evaluated by an international committee of experts who will select the best project from a scientific point of view and one that demonstrates concrete potential for improving the Regional and National Health System.
Funded Projects
Evaluation of the 2017 SPECIAL PROJECT CALL FOR PROPOSALS ON ASBESTOS-RELATED DISEASES.
The evaluation of projects was completed on July 25, 2018.
- 26-07-2018_Graduatoria – Bando progetto speciale 2017 su patologie amianto correlate
- 10-01-2019 – Kick off progetto PRIMATE
Documents for auditors
Contract Attachments
Decree No. 83 CLOSURE OF THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS “SPECIAL PROJECT 2017 ON ASBESTOS-RELATED DISEASES”
Results of scientific (ex-post evaluation) and economic assessment and funding granted to the I.R.C.C.S. National Cancer Institute Foundation as project leader, acronym PRIMATE