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REACH is an EU consortium aimed to change the "wiring" of pancreatic cancer stem cells to make them more chemosensitive using innovative nanotechnolgies

Unmet Clinical Need

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)

Rising incidence and mortality: PDAC currently ranks as the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related death in developed countries and is projected to become the 2nd by 2030, due to its increasing incidence and lack of effective early detection or treatment strategies.

11%
The 5-year survival rate (globally), making it one of the deadliest solid malignancies. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced, unresectable stage

REACH TECHNOLOGY

A New Approach to Treating PDAC

The REACH project aims to address this challenge by exploring the largely uncharted field of PDAC epitranscriptomics, particularly the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications in regulating chemoresistance. By using tumor-targeting nanoparticles to deliver modulators of m6A "writers", "erasers", and "readers" directly to PDAC cells and CSCs, REACH seeks to reprogram the tumor’s epitranscriptomic landscape and sensitize it to standard chemotherapy.

Team


  • Dr. Bruno Sainz

    Project Coordinator

    Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)
    Madrid, Spain

    Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)

  • Dr. Julie Earl

    Technical Coordinator

    Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)
    Madrid, Spain

    Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)
PROJECT PARTNERS

  • Dr. Bozena Smolkova

    Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
    Bratislava, Slovakia

    Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

  • Dr. Sylvia Wagner

    Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT
    Sulzbach, Germany

    Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

  • Dr. Michael Gepp

    Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT
    Sulzbach, Germany

    Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT

  • Dr. Vita Rovite

    Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre
    Riga, Latvia

    Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre

  • Dr. Justo P. Castaño

    Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba
    Cordoba, Spain

    Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD

  • Dr. Christopher Heeschen

    Candiolo Cancer Institute FPO IRCCS
    Turin, Italy

    Candiolo Cancer Institute FPO IRCCS

  • Dr. Agapi Kataki

    University of Athens
    Athens, Greece

    University of Athens

  • Dr. Laura Garcia-Bermejo

    Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)
    Madrid, Spain

    Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS)

News

  • TRANSCAN-3 Kick-off meeting

    In October 2025, we participated in the EU TRANSCAN-3 Kick-off meeting in Milan, Italy, where many of the REACH PIs were able to attend and brainstorm, in addition to meeting other TRANSCAN-3 project leaders and groups, as well as funding agencies, like the AECC. A great meeting to ignite new ideas and collaborations.
    TRANSCAN-3 Kick-off meeting

  • REACH Kick-off Meeting

    We are thrilled to announce the official start of the REACH project, marked by a successful kick-off meeting held in Madrid on April 8-9, 2025. All consortium and Scientific Advisory Board members attended to make our 1st meeting a great success.
    REACH Kick-off Meeting