Project description
Lighting the way for cancer treatment with heavy ion beams
The EU-funded HITRIplus project aims to integrate and propel biophysics and medical research on cancer treatment with heavy ions beams while jointly developing its sophisticated instruments. The wider objective of HITRIplus is to provide radiation oncologists with a cutting-edge tool to treat the tumours that are not curable with X-rays or protons or have better survival rates with ions. Transnational access will integrate and open the European facilities providing therapeutic ion beams to external researchers and clinicians. Networks will structure and foster the research on heavy ion therapy, including clinical and pre-clinical research. Joint research activities will develop new accelerator and beam delivery technologies to extend the reach of the present generation centres to make cancer ion therapy more accessible.
Objective
The goal of Heavy Ion Therapy Research Integration plus (HITRIplus) is to integrate and propel biophysics and medical research on cancer treatment with heavy ions beams while jointly developing its sophisticated instruments.
Cancer is a central health problem for our society. Heavy ion beams irradiate tumours by focussing on the ill tissue while sparing the healthy part around, more effectively than any other irradiation treatment. The wider objective of HITRIplus is to provide radiation oncologists with a cutting-edge tool to treat the fraction of tumours that are not curable with X-rays or protons or have better survival rates or lower recurrences with ions.
For this major initiative, HITRIplus has gathered a consortium engaging all relevant stakeholders and for the first time bringing together all four European ion therapy centres with leading EU industries, academia, and research laboratories. They all share the ambition to jointly build a strong pan-European Heavy Ion Therapy Research Community. A strategic partner is the South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies, which federates eight countries in South East Europe with the ambition to build a next generation heavy ion Research Infrastructure in the area, to boost research and cooperation in a region trying to rebuild after a troubled past.
HITRIplus Transnational Access will integrate and open to external researchers the experimental programme of the five European facilities providing therapeutic ion beams. Its Networks will structure and foster the research on heavy ion therapy, including clinical and pre-clinical research. Joint Research Activities will develop new accelerator and beam delivery technologies to extend the reach of the present generation centres and to define a new European reference design, at lower cost and dimensions, to make cancer ion therapy more accessible and to open new markets to European industry.
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Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
27100 Pavia Pv
Italy
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Participants (18)
60438 Frankfurt Am Main
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
75015 PARIS 15
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1211 GENEVE 23
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28040 MADRID
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1000 Ljubljana
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
64291 Darmstadt
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69120 Heidelberg
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
69120 Heidelberg
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00044 Frascati
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2700 Wiener Neustadt
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
35392 Giessen
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5232 Villigen Psi
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1205 GENEVE
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2080 MSIDA
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35037 Marburg
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751 05 Uppsala
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1121 Budapest
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1048 Riga
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