SCALPEL-Project

🧬 What if the future of cancer treatment is not just about destroying tumours, but teaching the immune system how to fight smarter? June is Cancer Immunotherapy Month. A moment to spotlight how immunotherapy is reshaping oncology through precision science, engineered immune responses, and next-generation treatment strategies. But despite major breakthroughs, many challenges remain: 🔹 Why do some patients respond while others do not? 🔹 How can therapies become more targeted and less invasive? 🔹 What role will interdisciplinary innovation play in the next wave of cancer care? At SCALPEL, we believe the future of immunotherapy will depend on connecting disciplines that do not traditionally work side-by-side. From photomedicine and synthetic chemistry to advanced cancer research. The next generation of cancer innovation will not come from a single breakthrough. It will come from smarter systems, better targeting, and deeper scientific collaboration. 🔬 📖 Curious about where cancer immunotherapy is heading and how emerging research could help shape its future? Follow SCALPEL as we explore the science driving tomorrow’s oncology innovation: www.scalpel-project.eu #CancerImmunotherapyMonth #Immunotherapy #CancerResearch #PrecisionMedicine #OncologyInnovation #CancerInnovation

🧬 What if destroying a tumour was only the beginning? SCALPEL combines photomedicine with immunotherapy to eliminate residual cancer cells, and then turn the immune system into a long term defence against recurrence. This is at the heart of what modern immunology is striving for ➡️ triggering immune responses that are precise, powerful and lasting ➡️ cutting off the path to recurrence 🔬 Because the future of cancer treatment is not only about destroying the disease, but about teaching the body to fight it. #WorldImmunologyDay #Immunology #Immunotherapy #CancerResearch #SCALPEL_Project #HorizonEurope

What does it take to train the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells? 🔬⚡ In our latest Meet the Partners episode, we take you inside the science driving SCALPEL. Where collaboration across disciplines is turning bold ideas into tangible progress. 🎬 In this episode: Meet Iva Hafner Bratkovič from partner Kemijski inštitut - National Institute of Chemistry. She shares how her team is contributing to SCALPEL by designing and producing antibody-based components that help flag cancer cells for targeted destruction. A key step in enabling more precise and effective therapies. From protein design to immunology, this work reflects the kind of cross-disciplinary thinking that defines SCALPEL’s approach. If you are curious how innovative science is shaping the next generation of cancer treatment, this is one to watch. 👇 ➡️ Watch the full interview: tinyurl.com/4scvjjm9 👀 Coming next: 🔹 Gustave Roussy 🔹 PorphyChem SAS 🔹 EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH ✨Feel free to check out past interviews with our partners: 🔹Oslo University Hospital 🔹Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon Advancing cancer therapy through precision, collaboration, and innovation. #SCALPEL_Project #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #HorizonEurope #FutureTherapies #ScienceForImpact

Day 2 in Ljubljana This morning at partner institution Kemijski inštitut - National Institute of Chemistry is dedicated entirely to discussion. No slide decks. No formal presentations. Just focused exchange. 🧠 Strategic reflection 💬 Open dialogue 🧩 Working through next steps together Planning the next phase requires space to question, refine, and align. Today is about exactly that. Making sure our direction is clear, shared, and deliberate. Collaboration in action. Learn more about our research: www.scalpel-project.eu #SCALPEL #HorizonEurope #EUResearch #CancerResearch #ResearchCollaboration

Day 1 in Ljubljana is complete. Today, the SCALPEL consortium came together at partner institution Kemijski inštitut - National Institute of Chemistry to reflect on Year 1 progress and define the path ahead. But what stood out most wasn’t just the updates. It was the dialogue. 🔄 Continuous discussion 💬 Open exchange 🧩 Collective problem-solving 🤝 Genuine collaboration This was not a sequence of presentations. It was an active, engaged room. Partners challenging ideas, refining approaches, and building on each other’s expertise. That level of interaction is what strengthens European research partnerships. Looking forward to continuing the discussions tomorrow. #SCALPEL #HorizonEurope #CancerResearch #EUResearch #ResearchCollaboration #Innovation

What does progress look like in groundbreaking European cancer research? Next week, we take stock. 📍 Ljubljana, Slovenia 📅 March 11–13, 2026 The SCALPEL consortium will gather for our First Year Progress Meeting, bringing together partners from across Europe to: 🔬 Review first-year developments 🎯 Assess key milestones 🧭 Define priorities and next steps Innovation requires more than breakthrough ideas. It requires alignment, critical discussion, and shared direction. These three days are about focus, collaboration, and ensuring that our next phase is as rigorous as our first. 🔗 Follow our journey: www.scalpel-project.eu #SCALPEL #HorizonEurope #CancerResearch #EUResearch #Innovation #ResearchCollaboration

🌍 Today we celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science Women still represent less than one-third of researchers worldwide and closing this gender gap isn’t just about fairness, it’s about enhancing the quality, relevance, and impact of science itself. PhD candidate Marianna Canonaco at SCALPEL partner Oslo University Hospital provided her insights on how to create a more inclusive environment in research: “Listening creates a more inclusive environment. You create the possibility for everyone to share their ideas and suggestions for the experiments which leads to better collaboration and results.” 👉 Swipe through our carousel to explore Marianna's concrete examples of practices that can drive better science. Because inclusiveness in science doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through intentional practices every day. 💡 Today isn’t just about celebration. It’s a prompt to reflect on our teams, our cultures, and how we move science forward together. Let’s champion equity in science. Not just today, but every day. 🚀 Learn more about SCALPEL: www.scalpel-project.eu #WomenInScience #GirlsInScience #IDWGS2026 #InclusiveScience #STEMEquity #EveryVoiceInScience #SCALPEL

On World Cancer Day, we are sharing a special edition of our Click into Science series spotlighting synthetic chemistry, one of the foundations of future cancer therapies. Before light can trigger a response… before the immune system can be activated… scientists must first design and build the molecules that make precision treatment possible. This is the kind of behind-the-scenes science driving SCALPEL, where chemistry, photomedicine and immunology come together to rethink how cancer is treated from the ground up. 🔬 Click into Science: Synthetic Chemistry Because progress against cancer is built one molecule at a time. 🔜 Next in the series: Porphyrin Chemistry, exploring how chemical design supports light-based cancer therapies. 🎯 Follow along as we explore the research behind tomorrow’s cures. 👉 Learn more: www.scalpel-project.eu Because United by Unique celebrates when we all come together to push forward: Theo Theodossiou I Oslo University Hospital I Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon I PorphyChem SAS I Gustave Roussy I EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH I Kemijski inštitut - National Institute of Chemistry   #WorldCancerDay #UnitedByUnique #CancerResearch #SyntheticChemistry #ClickIntoScience #InnovationInCancer #EUResearch

✨ Shining Into 2026 ✨ As we close the first year of SCALPEL, we look back on a period defined by curiosity, determination, and truly inspiring collaboration across Europe. 🤝🌍 In 2025, our consortium took meaningful steps toward a future where cancer treatment is more precise, less invasive, and guided by light. By harnessing cancer-cell specificity and systemic immunity through light-controlled therapies, we are laying the groundwork for the next generation of targeted treatments. 🔬💡 None of this progress would have been possible without the dedication of our multidisciplinary partners❤️ A heartfelt thank you to everyone contributing to this ambitious project. Here’s to an exciting, collaborative, and breakthrough-filled 2026! 🚀 #SCALPEL_Project #EIC #Collaboration #Pioneering

🚀 SCALPEL on the move! Innovation doesn’t happen in silos, it happens when brilliant minds connect, collaborate, and dare to step out of their comfort zones (yes, even if that means conquering a fear of flying! ✈️). Georgios Vougioukalakis, SCALPEL’s Principal Investigator from Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon, was invited to deliver a talk at the iPHOS project workshop, funded by ΕΛΙΔΕΚ - Ελληνικό Ίδρυμα Έρευνας και Καινοτομίας. 🔬✨ As a leading figure not only in SCALPEL but also in the SUPERLASER - EIC Pathfinder project, Prof. Vougioukalakis continues to push the boundaries of chemistry, showing how interconnected research ecosystems can accelerate breakthroughs. ⚡ 👇 Read more below about his presentation. When projects work with each other, not next to each other, science moves faster, impact grows deeper, and meaningful change becomes possible. 🌍🤝 #SCALPEL_Project #Collaboration #EIC