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H2020Doctoral network2015–2019

EUROPOL · EUROPOL

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2015-01-01 → 2019-08-31
EU contribution
€3,960,040
Participants
16
Scheme
MSCA-ITN-ETN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

EUROPOL

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) play unique roles in contemporary Science, from Physics, Chemistry and Biology, to clinical research and diagnosis. Further progress in NMR and MRI is hampered by sensitivities that are much lower than those of alternatives, such as mass-spectrometry and PET. The prospects of solving this problem by building “bigger machines” (e.g. relying on stronger magnets) are uncertain and may offer only a poor return, given the high level of maturity already achieved by NMR/MRI. EUROPOL challenges this status quo by combining NMR/MRI with Nuclear Hyperpolarization, which can increase signal intensities by up to x50,000. Two approaches are pursued, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and para-hydrogen-driven polarization (PHIP), which have shown the greatest potential for biophysical, metabolomic, pre-clinical and clinical research. EUROPOL has assembled leading experts in the physics and engineering of magnetic resonance, in the synthetic chemistry essential for the success of these methods, and focuses on applications of hyperpolarized NMR in structural and cell biology, and in preclinical and clinical MRI applications. The most important aspect for society is possibility to image metabolites in an MRI setting. This has now been demonstrated in patients using hyperpolarised pyruvate. Possible applications are in cancer where a metabolic change is observed as consequence of treatment. Partners of EUROPOL are developing this application as a new potential diagnostic. Furthermore, EUROPOL delivers a range of compounds and methods may have a wider range of applications in NMR/MRI. This may enable unprecedented analytical applications in chemistry, biochemistry, protein biochemistry and cell biology. The research objectives of the EUROPOL project were: RO1: Methodological development of a broad-based portfolio of hyperpolarisation platforms and customised acquisition methods. RO2: Develop the enabling chemistry required to drive biological applications of hyperpolarised MR. RO3: High impact biomolecular studies, biological discoveries and biomedical applications, based on hyperpolarised NMR and MRI.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

NMR and MRI play unique roles in contemporary Science, from Physics, Chemistry and Biology, to clinical research and diagnosis. Despite its irreplaceable role, further progress in NMR and MRI is hampered by sensitivities that are much lower than those of alternatives such as mass-spec, or PET. The prospects of solving this problem by “bigger machines” are uncertain and of poor return, given the high maturity already achieved by NMR/MRI. This ETN challenges this status from an untapped perspective, combining NMR/MRI with nuclear hyperpolarization eliciting signals that surpass those currently available by up to 50,000x. Focus is placed on two particular approaches, dynamic nuclear polarization and para-hydrogen-driven polarization, exhibiting the highest potential for biophysical, metabolomic, pre-clinical and clinical research. To maximize these “supersignals” we assembled leading experts in the physics and engineering of magnetic resonance, in the synthetic chemistry essential for the success of these methods, in the uses of NMR to structural/cell biology, and in preclinical and clinical MRI applications. Guiding this assembling is the conception that only by teaming together key areas of expertise, can hyperpolarisation’s promises be realized. In addition to fostering synergies among experts from academia and industry, EUROPOL will provide frontier training for ESRs in all the topics underlying the advancement of MR. This will include advanced physics, new instruments and forms of exploiting NMR/MRI’s hyperpolarisation, biophysical NMR, screening of healthy and diseased metabolomes, expanded portfolios of substrates to be targeted by in vivo MR, ancillary in cell and system biology explorations clarifying the nature of the metabolic phenomena, and in vivo hyperpolarisation strategies in MRI. This ETN is unparalleled in scope, breadth and potential for synergies.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · BirminghamCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
  • BRUKER BIOSPIN GMBH · EttlingenGermany
  • CORTECNET · LES ULISFrance
  • DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET · Kongens LyngbyDenmark
  • ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE · LausanneSwitzerland
  • GE Global Research · MünchenGermany
  • JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN · Frankfurt Am MainGermany
  • OXFORD INSTRUMENTS INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS LIMITED · AbingdonUnited Kingdom
  • Rotem Industries Ltd. · Mishor Yamin D.N AravaCountry levelIsrael
  • THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · CAMBRIDGEUnited Kingdom
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM · NottinghamUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM FREIBURG · FreiburgGermany
  • UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLE · MarseilleFrance
  • UNIVERSITE DE VERSAILLES SAINT-QUENTIN EN YVELINES · VERSAILLESFrance
  • UNIVERSITY OF YORK · YORK NORTH YORKSHIREUnited Kingdom
  • WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE · RehovotIsrael

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union