ImPRESS has generated imaging data from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of adult patients with primary (glioblastoma) and secondary (metastases) brain tumors, prior to, during, and after treatment with traditional cancer therapies with- and without drugs that aim to remodel the mechanical forces of the tumor microenvironment. The MRI exam is now operational at Oslo Universitetssykehus HF, including conventional and functional imaging of water diffusion, vascular hemodynamics, and tissue stiffness and force. The protocol is evaluated in both healthy volunteers and patients with brain tumors.
ImPRESS has also performed a clinical trial (EudraCT Number: 2018-003229-27, clinicaltrials.gov NCT03951142) to test whether losartan, an angiotensin receptor II blocker, could manipulate the mechanical forces of the cancerous microenvironment. Because our clinical trial constitutes an 'off-label' treatment in humans, we designed an open-label, blinded assessor, single center, multi-dose, individual-randomized stepped-wedge trial on losartan with three indications in patients with brain cancers. In compliance with good clinical practice, this study has made use of the full clinical trial engine at our hospital, including a full time study nurse; a dedicated project coordinator; primary care physicians; a dedicated study statistician; a dedicated study monitor whose job is to perform risk analyses and source data verifications; contracts with hospital pharmacies; biobank setup and management; radiologic services (reporting), material transfer agreements (international collaborations), electronic case report forms (eCRF), and an independent safety committee. Also, our project management committee has maintained an efficient clinical study logistics pipeline, procedures for rapid safety reporting, a dedicated and automatic MRI analysis pipeline, and safe data storage and reporting.
Please refer the Major Achievements section for main results and their exploitation and dissemination.
To date, the ImPRESS project participants has published over thirty peer-review manuscripts in relationship with the project, as well as four book chapters and several associated PhD theses.
The ImPRESS project has also presented data at several international conferences, a range of non-scientific and non-peer-reviewed publications are presented, as well as relevant activities in social media.
