DCE-MRI IN EXPERIMENTAL MODELS OF NORMAL AND METASTATIC LYMPH NODES

Starting date
May 1, 2018
Duration (months)
12
Departments
Computer Science, Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine
Managers or local contacts
Marzola Pasquina

Accurate tumour staging of carcinomas is crucial for the development of optimal treatment strategies. As a consequence, lymph-node staging is a key challenge of cancer imaging and is currently under extensive investigation. It is thought that the lymph nodes prepares for metastatic cells implantation by reorganizing lymphatic and vascular structures and, as a consequence, new blood vessels develop within and around lymph nodes. Consequently non-invasive techniques that allows evaluation of tumor tissue vascularization are expected to provide relevant data on the metastatic invasion of lymph nodes. In this project we will apply DCE-MRI techniques to the investigation of metastatic lymphnodes in an experimental model of colon carcinoma. Although standard contrast enhanced MRI has been already evaluated as a marker of lymphnode metastatization, only a few works have considered the heterogenic kinetic of the contrast agent arrival-elimination. Moreover the possible role of protein binding contrast agents have not been considered yet. The results obtained in this preclinical project will be easily transferable to the clinics as the contrast agents considered in the projects are approved for clinical use.

Sponsors:

Funds: assigned and managed by the department

Project participants

Pasquina Marzola
Full Professor
Research areas involved in the project
Bioinformatica e informatica medica
Computer forensics

Activities

Research facilities

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