Non-Invasive Chemistry Imaging in the whole human body

Project Information

NICI

Grant agreement ID: 801075

DOI

10.3030/801075

Project closed

EC signature date 24 May 2018

Start date 1 June 2018

End date 31 August 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Total cost

€ 3 146 973,75

EU contribution

€ 3 146 973,75

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM UTRECHT
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - NICI (Non-Invasive Chemistry Imaging in the whole human body)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2023-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The aim of the NICI project is to enhance the potential of emerging 7T MRI scanners to get insights into metabolomics in the whole human body. As a first step after our developments of 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 work packages of the NICI project are the discovery of NMR detectable metabolic biomarkers (WP 1), the development of the RF patient tubes and receiver arrays 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), the investigation and standardized data processing method (WP 4) and validation of the imaging of (bio)chemical processes in an observational trial and development of a predictive model from this data. Also, clinical feasibility studies are setup to explore the potential of chemistry imaging in pancreas cancer, tong tumours and lung cancer and the heart.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

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 setup of body array and bore coil for each vendor system (GE in Pisa, Philips in Amsterdam+Utrecht and Siemens in Cambridge) all required their unique design but the installation was completed. The knowledge that is now shared between the different sites during the implementation allows harmonization and synergy in applying metabolomics with 7T MRI scanners. Patients for the clinical validation studies were included that confirm feasibilityin liver metastasis, pancreas cancer, tong tumours, lung cancer and healthy subjects for the heart.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

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 is realized: proof of concept and validation of the technology, feasibility in patients with lung cancer, tongue cancer and pancreas cancer and approach in an observational trial targeting patients with liver metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer.