FP6 priority

1.1.1   Genomics and Biotechnology for Health

1.1.2.1

Title of the proposal

Magnetic Resonance Imaging evaluation in the human ageing with orientation to osteoporosis

Institute

Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Measurement Science
Dubravska cesta 9, 84219 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Contact

Research subject for a potential FP6 project

Osteoporosis poses a huge challenge to the European society as the proportion of elderly people increases. The number of elderly people suffering bone fractures is set to rise dramatically over the coming years. As a consequence, there is great need to develop accurate methods for determining the level of fracture risk in an individual, to establish early diagnosis and to assess the clinical course of the disease. The proposed FP6 project aims at developing an improved nonin-vasive imaging approach, integrating magnetic resonance imaging at different resolutions, image analysis and numerical simulations, for the assessment of trabecular bone in ageing and osteo-porosis. The clinical validation of the proposed appraoch will be conducted at large scale on both osteoporotic patients and healthy volunteers.
The general objectives of the proposal are:
- tackle an issue of primary importance for the ageing of European population, i.e. bone related diseases such as osteoporosis
- integrate different disciplines and advanced technologies leading to improved non
-invasive imaging approaches to the diagnosis of osteoporosis
The specific objectives are:
- design and development of improved MRI methodologies for the quantitative evaluation of trabecular bone
- implementation of the MRI methodologies on clinical whole body MR scanners
- large scale evaluation of the implemented methodologies in the clinical screening of osteoporosis

Recent international cooperation of the research team

- Università di Trieste, Dip. Biochimica, Biofisica e Chimica delle Macromolecole, Italy, coordinator,
- University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Herchel Smith Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry, Cambridge, UK
- Vrije Universiteit Brussels, MR Center Academic Hospital, Brussels, Belgium,
- Universidad de Cadiz, Anatomia Patologica y Biologia Celular, Spain Facultad de Medicina, Cadiz, Spain

Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

1. Frollo, I.: “Magnetic field evaluation methods for measurement and imaging based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance”, JSAEM Studies in Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, The Japan Society of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics. 9, 2001. pp. 160-163.
2. Toffanin, R. - Jellus, V. – Szomolanyi, P. - Vittur, F.: “Short-TE projection reconstruction NMR microscopy of trabecular bone”. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 19, 2000, pp.485-486
3. Frollo, I. - Zembery, P.: “Wavelet transform used for magnetic field evaluation for imaging based on nuclear magnetic resonance”. Digest of the Joint Seminar `99 on Applied Electromagnetics, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, 1.-3.11.1999, pp.111-112.
4. Frollo,I.: Parallel plane gradient system for NMR experiments. Review of Scientific Instruments, 60, 1989, 11, 3442-3446.