The European Innovation committee t has selected an international " project " that aims to develop RNA vaccines against cancer

The European Innovation committee e has selected a " project " from the Cima University of Navarra for its EIC Pathfinder Open 2026 call for proposals. It is one of six projects coordinated by Spanish institutions, out of a total of 43 awarded.

Dr. Dr. Puri Fortes, principal investigator in the group Non-Coding RNA and Biotechnology Department at the Cima, leads this international consortium, which includes the Spanish biotechnology company Certest Biotec, the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Netherlands), and Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany). 

With a budget of 3.8 million euros, the ADVANCE project , part of the Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra, is studying the use of RNA vaccines to treat hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer with a poor prognosis. Its incidence is expected to exceed one million cases annually in the coming decade, due to rising rates of alcohol consumption and obesity. 

Hidden Antigens
“Although it can be treated in its early stages through resection or liver transplantation, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, when treatment options are limited. Our project proposes a completely novel strategy that involves stimulating the immune system using ‘hidden’ antigens derived from small proteins. These peptides represent a source of tumor-specific antigens that have not yet been explored,” explains Dr. Fortes. 

project suggests that cellular stress in cancer could promote the selective translation of certain RNAs, thereby generating a unique set of tumor-specific peptides that are absent in healthy tissues. “By applying advanced technology and artificial intelligence, we aim to design personalized RNA vaccines formulated in innovative ways.”

Application to Other Types of Cancer
As the researcher from the Cima notes, “our goal is to demonstrate test of a therapeutic RNA vaccine—a first-of-its-kind class —that enhances cytotoxic T-cell responses and destroys cancer cells through preclinical in vitro and in vivo validation.” 

project . ADVANCE aims to lay the instructions for expanding the finding of antigen-based and RNA-based vaccination strategies to other hard-to-treat cancers and to advance their clinical application.

This international consortium includes specialists from the Clínica Universidad de Navarraframework , part of the CIBER Network for Liver and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD). The partnership —a collaboration between researchers from the Cima and professionals from the Clinic—is part of the Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra, which connects the research with its development .