CORDIS

The aim of the NICI project is to solve the potential of emerging 7T MRI scanners an get insights into metabolomics in the whole human body. As a first step to develop a non-invasive technology to be able to image chemistry processes in the human body, NICI has the potential to change modern diagnostics and dynamic monitoring of patients during their disease and treatment. Furthermore, it enables clinicians and researchers to understand chemical processes in human organs. The overall aims of the workpackages in the first reporting period of the NICI project are the discovery of NMR detectable metabolic biomarkers (WP 1), the development of the RF patient tubes of 7T MRI systems (WP 2), the development of an imaging strategy to obtain the metabolic signature of hepatic metastatic lesions in humans (WP 3) and the investigation and standardized data processing method (WP 4).

In this first year, the most important biomarker that has been observed was PME over PDE and a launchpad project has been granted to verify its accuracy in vivo. The body array and bore coil for GE has been developed. Applications have been submitted to conduct clinical studies to obtain metabolic signature in other areas of the body, than hepatic metastatic lesions. Furthermore, it is planned to provide software for metabolic imaging for all platforms. Therefore, an initiative has been setup to gather open source tools to maximize establishing a community of NICI’s objectives.

NICI aims to unlock the potential of emerging 7T MRI scanners and recent insights in metabolomics. This is the first step in a long-term vision of developing a non-invasive technology for imaging chemistry processes in the human body. The project has the potential of changing the face of modern-day diagnostics and dynamic monitoring of patients during their disease and treatment and provides clinicians and researchers with a powerful tool for understanding chemical processes in human organs. Fields of application include oncology (chemotherapy efficacy, radiotherapy sensitivity), cardiology (imaging the metabolic health of myocardium), internal medicine (drug efficacy), psychiatry (activated neurotransmitter integrity), orthopaedics (stress endurance tests), paediatrics (noninvasive diagnostics), and radiology (assess organ functions). The field of metabolomics will be impacted for direct validations in vivo and a direct and full view on the role and impact of heterogeneities. Finally, economics will be impacted as worked out for one case where ineffective treatments will be detected early or before treatment, preventing unnecessary costs while improving quality of life. In the NICI project, the first step towards this vision will be realized: proof of concept and validation of the technology and approach in an observational trial targeting patients with liver metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer.