Objective
Accurate diagnosis of (pre)malignant gastrointestinal (GI)-tract lesions is critical for patient survival. Early detection of asymptomatic disease of the GItract improves the chance of curative intervention by 50−80% as compared to poor five-year survival rates for symptomatic advanced malignant disease. Regular endoscopic surveillance in high-risk patients misses 25% of (pre)malignant lesions – the most clinically relevant marker for malignant progression. This clinically significant miss rate is due to the subtle appearance of such lesions under white-light endoscopy and sampling errors inherent to a random-biopsy surveillance paradigm, which increases inter-operator variability and compromises diagnostic accuracy. Even when malignant disease is detected, lack of sensitive contrast agents compromises delineation of the true extent of the lesion. These factors decrease the physician’s ability to achieve successful therapeutic intervention through resection or ablation. About 33% of GI-tract lesions progress or recur at or near the therapeutic site, commonly requiring aggressive yet often non-curative, systemic treatments negatively impacting the patients’ quality of life. There is an unmet clinical need for endoscopic optical imaging approaches that reliably detect those lesions with high sensitivity and specificity. To develop a clinically viable strategy, I propose to use biodegradable, fluorescent silica nanoprobes (FSN) that provide real-time visualization of the lesions over a range of scales during routine endoscopy. Since FSNs accumulate at the tumor sites solely due to their size and increased vascular permeability, no active targeting is needed, making these imaging agents ubiquitously applicable. Endoscopy augmented with FSNs has tremendous potential for better outcomes particularly in high-risk patients by accurately diagnosing and directing treatment specifically to early lesions at a time when patients are amenable to curative therapeutic intervention.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2573 HT 's-Gravenhage (Den Haag)
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.