Project description
New imaging modality to treat cancer
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Europe. Treatment options often cause serious side effects with negative impacts on patients’ quality of life. As such, much effort is concentrated on new medical technologies allowing better diagnostics and less distressing therapies, increasing chances of the 5-year survival period. The EU-funded SCANnTREAT project aims to develop such a new cancer treatment by combining two leading-edge technologies, spectral photon-counting scanner CT (SPCCT) (the imaging modality), and new X-rays-activated photodynamic therapy (X-PDT), by designing probes specifically to act as contrast media and therapeutic agents. This will allow for accurate diagnostics and give access to in situ monitoring of the treatment.
Objective
According to Eurostat, cancer accounts for the second cause of death in Europe. We are aiming at a breakthrough technology that will contribute to increase drastically patients five years survival and have significant positive impact on their quality of life. Such ambition will be reached thanks to a new future technology that will ensure the efficient treatment of cancer with low side-effects (even if radioresistant), allow to perform accurate diagnostic and give access to in situ monitoring of the treatment. The other ground-breaking aspect of this technology is the fact that everything will take place at the same time, with the same machine which will be much less stressful and disturbing for patients compared to other treatment. SCANnTREAT is based on the association of cutting-edge technologies: spectral photon counting scanner CT (SPCCT) which is a ground-breaking imaging modality and a new X-ray based treatment known as X-rays activated Photodynamic Therapy (X-PDT). The perfect match between these two technologies will be ensured with specifically designed probes acting both as contrast media and therapeutic agents. The SCANnTREAT consortium will gather 3 academic and 1 industrial partners who are international leaders in their respective fields (chemistry, biochemistry, physics, radiobiology, experimental imaging, radiotherapy, clinics).
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
69622 Villeurbanne Cedex
France