The INSERT Project: Operative plan and requirements defined
Gliomas - tumours of the central nervous system - are rarely curable. The prognosis for patients with high-grade gliomas is generally poor, and this is especially so for older patients. Despite a number of innovations in the areas of diagnosis and treatment, these diseases remain a challenge for the scientific community. Life expectancy is very low, and surgery is not always appropriate. The EU-funded INSERT project, which started work on 1 March 2013, aims to develop an innovative system combining SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technologies, which will allow the simultaneous measurement of anatomical (MRI) and functional (SPECT & MRI) information of glioma patients. Thanks to the possibility of obtaining multiple parameters, the INSERT system will improve the definition of the tumour biology and to give relevant information for a personalised treatment, with a considerable impact on the efficacy of the treatment itself. The system will be validated at the pre-clinical level thanks to the creation of animal models, and to the clinical level, thanks to a pilot study which will involve patients with glioma. The project team, coordinated by Prof Carlo Fiorini from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioingeneering of the Polytechnic of Milan, held its first meeting on 5 and 6 March. Operational plans and requirements were discussed. The four-year project, financed by a contribution received from the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission, is made up of a consortium of 10 organisations, including both research organisations and private companies from five European countries.
Countries
Italy