The prostate cancer Extracellular Vesicle LifeCycle (proEVLifeCycle) network is an innovative, multidisciplinary training program focused on understanding the biology, biomarker potential and function of extracellular vesicles (EVs) to resolve unmet clinical needs of prostate cancer (PCa). It is within this realm, that we will equip early stage researchers with the knowledge, tools and a creative ethos to be independent scientists, leaders, and drivers of innovation. The lifecycle of EVs is poorly understood and their potential as non-invasive biomarkers and therapy target/agents, a growing area of interest. This research can perfectly be integrated with the high need for novel biomarkers and therapy targets for PCa. Any relief in the burden of this disease will have major impact on the huge socio-economic problems for patients, families, caregivers and society. The ambitious scientific objectives are to unravel the mysteries of EV biogenesis, homing and uptake to explain how vesicles operate in disease processes; their heterogeneity, their molecular complexity, the biological functions they drive, their local and systemic dissemination and how these may be manipulated. Using state-of-the-art, network-wide shared model systems, imaging and profiling tools, and systems biology, the program will enlighten the lifecycle of EVs and identify novel EV biomarkers and PCa therapy targets to address the unmet clinical needs. Our original network of 7 academic and 3 company beneficiaries and 11 partners, provides optimal scientific training, crosssectoral awareness, entrepreneurship skills, communication in the modern age, extensive opportunities for mobility and patient-facing experiences. We herein meet identified EU-skills gaps providing well-rounded and inventive experts primed for influential careers, contributing to patient well-being and economic prosperity within the EU.

The ColoMARK network integrates 17 teams with multidisciplinary expertise (omics, epidemiology, microbiome, circulating tumour DNA, bioinformatics, assay development, circulating RNAs, circulating tumour cells, tumour profiling, clinics) that will take advantage of the assets conferred by novel liquid biopsy strategies to provide complementary and comprehensive know-how on the features required to successfully fulfil the objectives of ColoMARK: 1) to foster a next generation of scientists that can address the challenges of colorectal cancer biomarker development. The network is enforced by pre-existing collaborations from COST Action TransColonCan, and enhanced by the participation of non-academic entities, who will play an essential role in the cross-sectoral and transversal training of the researchers. It is our purpose to provide a personalised training programme that builds on the knowledge offered by the participants to produce future cross-sectoral leadership and a sustainable initiative of excellent research that enhances the competitiveness of European researchers; 2) to achieve maximum impact by appropriate dissemination, patient and public engagement, and results exploitation, activities that will be embedded in the training of the researchers. Given the promising perspectives of liquid biopsy approaches for the future of cancer prevention and management, ColoMARK will constitute an opportunity to reach outstanding scientific, technological and societal impact in a field highly relevant to Horizon Europe´s priorities in cancer, therefore enhancing European competitiveness in R&I; 3) to advance in colorectal cancer understanding by producing outstanding, synergistic research. As the main scientific aim of ColoMARK, ten tailored ground-breaking research projects, only possible in the context of ColoMARK, will be undertaken for the identification and validation of better risk, prognostic and monitoring colorectal cancer biomarkers.