The European Research Council awarded a Proof of Concept grant in July 2026 to Alexandre Detappe to advance the Nano-BITE project. The grant provides €150,000 for the project, which focuses on developing a nanomedicine-based immunotherapy for solid tumors.

The Nano-BITE project aims to improve the immune system's ability to combat solid tumors. The initiative seeks to develop immunotherapies that are more targeted, effective, and better tolerated, with the goal of concentrating therapeutic activity at the tumor site while minimizing effects on healthy tissues.

Detappe's project is developing nanoparticles designed to act directly within the tumor microenvironment. These nanoparticles aim to promote interactions between immune cells and cancer cells, maintaining a durable antitumor response. The grant duration for this work is 18 months, during which preclinical validations of the technology will be conducted.

Alexandre Detappe, Head of the Nanomedicine Team at Gustave Roussy (Inserm U1363, Université Paris-Saclay), is affiliated with Gustave Roussy, Institut Strauss, Université Paris-Saclay, and Inserm. He also leads the Nanomedicine laboratory at Institut Strauss and holds the Gustave Roussy Foundation Chair of Excellence in Nanotherapy. "With Nano-BITE, we aim to harness the potential of nanomedicine to make immunoth"

The ERC-funded work will prepare for the next stages of development for the technology. This funding is reserved for researchers who have previously received an ERC grant and supports the maturation of scientific results to facilitate their transfer into practical applications. Detappe's project was among 182 projects selected across Europe for this funding, with 18 of those projects located in France.

Why It Matters

The Nano-BITE project addresses a challenge in cancer treatment where immunotherapy effectiveness is often limited in solid tumors. Current issues include difficulty in attracting sufficient immune cells to tumor sites and maintaining their activity within the tumor microenvironment. By developing a nanomedicine-based approach, the project seeks to overcome these limitations and offer a new strategy for treating solid tumors.