News
Partecipation to H2020 PrimoGAIA project
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive technology that generates high-resolution images of tissues and organs. Since its first use on a human being over 40 years ago, it has become instrumental in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease and injury. Functional MRI, invented in 1991, is based on the same principles but images metabolic activity indirectly via changes in blood flow. Its use has led to remarkable discoveries in biomedical research. Now, PRIMOGAIA is exploiting MRI technology to map and quantify enzyme activity in pathological tissue. Enzymes play critical roles in cellular metabolism and are already valuable biomarkers of pathology in blood tests. Now, their high-resolution spatial localisation in tissues will significantly enhance disease detection and monitoring. PrimoGaia brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of research teams from 4 academics: Aix-Marseille University, U Mons, U Torino (reagents), CNRS Bordeaux (EPR unit, sequences, biology); Fraunhofer (Physics) and 2 companies: "Stelar" (magnetic unit) and "Pure Devices" an innovative SME (MRI instrumentation).
Partecipation to H2020 GLINT project
The Horizon 2020 project GLINT aims to develop a potentially disruptive new diagnostic tool and a set of technologies for cancer imaging which will allow for earlier, more accurate and more reliable cancer diagnosis. Cancer is one of the most devastating diseases the world is currently facing. It is usually detected through advanced medical imaging, and early detection remains a decisive factor for increasing the chances of survival and the potential for full recovery. The GLINT project addresses the current global lack of safe, cheap, easily accessible and accurate image-based metabolic evaluation techniques to detect cancer and will develop an innovative diagnostic tool and a set of technologies for in vivo cancer imaging which can characterise and image glucose delivery, uptake and metabolism in cancer. Once the GLINT project is successful, patients will be able to benefit from a non-invasive, radiation-free method for cancer assessment.
Partecipation to H2020 IDentIFY project
The main objectives of the IDentIFY project are to:- Build upon and improve upon existing FFC technology to extend its range of clinical applications
- Develop the theory of NMR relaxation in tissue at ultra-low fields in order to build models and identify new disease biomarkers
- Design new image acquisition techniques that exploit the unique diagnostic information offered by FFC-MRI
- Test FFC-MRI methods on tissue samples from surgery and tissue samples
- Demonstrate proof-of-principal scans on patients
Partecipation to Euro-BioImaging
The Molecular Imaging Center participates as a Node in the European Research Infrastructure for Imaging Technologies in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (Euro-BioImaging, EuBI) with the laboratories of the University of Torino located at the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences and at the BioIndustry Park Silvano Fumero (Center of Excellence for Preclinical Imaging - CEIP). It offers specific expertise in the field of probe design, development and evaluation both in cell cultures and in small animal models (probes for all the different imaging modalities, including hybrid modalities, and for different biological applications such as visualization of biological parameters and enzyme activities, targeting of specific cells/tissues, etc.).
European Commission launched the Euro-Bioimaging ERIC
Euro-BioImaging has been officially established by the European Commission as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC). With its ERIC status, Euro-BioImaging is now legally recognised as European research infrastructure for biological and biomedical imaging. Euro-BioImaging offers life scientists open access to imaging instruments, expertise, training opportunities and data management services that they do not find at their home institutions or among their collaboration partners. All scientists, regardless of affiliation, area of expertise or field of activity, can benefit from these pan-European open access services. Euro-BioImaging will ensure excellent research and development across the life sciences in Europe by offering state-of-the-art imaging services through its internationally renowned facilities, called Nodes. These Nodes are distributed across its 15 founding members: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, EMBL, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the UK. Belgium will participate as an observer. All Euro-BioImaging services are accessible via www.eurobioimaging.eu. Establishment of the Euro-BioImaging ERIC builds on over 10 years of preparatory work with active engagement of 25 national imaging communities, the international organisation EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), and EIBIR (European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research. The in vivo/medical imaging section of the Euro-BioImaging Hub, coordinating access to biomedical imaging Nodes, will be managed by Italy through the Unit of the CNR Institute of BioStructures and Bioimages (IBB) operating at the University of Torino. Furthermore, the University of Torino coordinates the Multi-Modal Molecular Imaging Italian Node (mmmi.unito.it).
Partecipation to COST actions
The Molecular Imaging Center participates in the COST actions COST Actions CA15209 - Eurelax "European Network on NMR Relaxometry" and in the COST Actions CA16103 - Parenchima "Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarkers for Chronic Kidney Disease"
