Objective
Laboratory diagnostics of haematological malignancies has three major applications: establishing the diagnosis, prognostic classification, and evaluation of treatment effectiveness. Over the past decade, several molecular techniques have brought new insights into classification and monitoring of treatment effectiveness. However, they have several major disadvantages: they are time consuming, not applicable in all categories of patients, and cannot focus on cellular subpopulations without purification steps. These limitations can be overcome by innovations in flow cytometry. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping is the sole technique that fulfils the requirements of high speed, broad applicability at diagnosis and follow-up, and accurate focusing on the malignant cell population using membrane-bound and intracellular proteins as targets. The required innovative steps concern development of novel antibodies, novel immunobead technology, novel flow cytometry software, and novel ³ 6-colour immunostaining protocols, which are all key objectives of the EuroFlow consortium. This needs a multidisciplinary translational research approach using cutting edge technologies and biological data arising from genomic research, which can be addressed most successfully via close collaboration between industry and academia. Consequently, the EuroFlow consortium will consist of two SME's and 8 diagnostic research groups, which are regarded as experts in the fields of flow cytometric and molecular diagnostics. Together the 10 participants have sufficient complementarity and congruence to cover all aspects of development, standardisation, and validation of highly sensitive tests for diagnosis and follow-up. The successful implementation of the proposal and the dissemination of the results to European haematological laboratories should result in health care progress through more precise diagnosis and individualised treatment as well as in strengthening o
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP6-2004-LIFESCIHEALTH-5
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Funding Scheme
STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project
Coordinator
PO BOX 1738 Rotterdam
Netherlands
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Participants (9)
Salamanca
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Amsterdam
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Santa Marta De Tormes - Salamanca
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Lisboa
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Kiel
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Paris
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Leeds
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Prague
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Katowice
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