Project Funding Details

Glioblastoma (GB) presents as the most prevalent and fatal tumor among malignant gliomas, with a median survival of merely 12-15 months despite aggressive chemo-radiation protocols. The therapeutic landscape for GB has witnessed stagnation in recent years due to limited success in improving patient survival, necessitating novel approaches. Brain tumor patients face not only the cancer itself but also the accompanying neurological handicap, underscoring the urgency to minimize neurological disability while prolonging survival. It's imperative to offer patients the most up-to-date therapeutic strategies in line with international standards. Integrating 'static' (measuring fixed molecular properties) and 'functional' (measuring characteristics of living cells) precision medicine approaches could revolutionize GB management. By employing advanced imaging techniques, comprehensive molecular analyses, and patient-derived organoid screenings, we hypothesize the improvement in patient stratification, prognostication, and therapeutic outcomes. 1. Introduce innovative imaging approaches, including fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging, and single-cellular behavior live imaging (SCBLI). 2. Investigate radiomics features for improved GBM characterization. 3. Conduct whole transcriptome, mutational, and epigenome analyses (NGS) to deepen our understanding of GBM molecular mechanisms. 4. Screen potential anticancer compounds on live patient-derived organoids to identify novel therapeutic agents. 5. Adapt GBM diagnosis and treatment standards to innovative approaches and international standards through the HOPE project, with immediate clinical implications. 6. Establish a prognostic and predictive model as a comprehensive platform for GB diagnosis and treatment to address national needs and facilitate optimal clinical management. 7. Predict an increasing convergence of static and functional approaches in clinical trials over the next 5 years, essential for their establishment as standard tools in clinical oncology. The project will implement the aforementioned aims through a multidisciplinary approach, encompassing advanced imaging techniques, molecular analyses, and organoid screenings. Data collection will include comprehensive clinical, molecular, and cellular information from 300 GBM patients, facilitating an enhanced understanding of GB molecular mechanisms and drug screening for personalized therapies. Data of different sources will be integrated. 1. Obtain an accurate predictive model made of one or combination of approaches 2. Generation of a potential QR code containing the necessary information to execute the predictive model. 3. Introduction of innovative approaches to GB clinical management, enhancing patient stratification and treatment outcomes. 4. Identification of novel drugs for GB therapy through organoid screenings. 5. Advancement in understanding GB molecular mechanisms. 6. Establishment of a GB center offering integrated tumor analysis for optimal clinical management. 7. Potential translation of project outcomes to benefit other cancer types. The project aims to revolutionize GB diagnosis and treatment by integrating advanced imaging and molecular techniques. By enhancing patient stratification through new predictive models and identifying novel therapeutic targets, it seeks to improve survival outcomes and minimize neurological disabilities. Additionally, the establishment of a specialized GB center will provide a model for comprehensive cancer care and research, with potential implications for other cancer types.