March 2009
In response to the first call of project proposals in 2007, the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM) announced in 2008, that nine first-call projects would receive research funding amounting to a total of 150 million Euro. The research is focused firmly on the ‘translational’ aspects of molecular medicine so that results can be applied as quickly as possible to actual patient care.
Percuros was successful as an industrial partner in two of those nine projects, DECODE (colorectal cancer) and PREDICCt (diabetes). On March 10, 2009, CTMM announced that a further eight project proposals, submitted in the autumn of 2008 in response to the second call for proposals, would receive funding amounting to a total of almost another 100 million Euro.
MUSIS was one of the successful projects from the second call. This project involves the use of Intra-operative Multi-Spectral Imaging Systems for Radical Tumor Resection (MUSIS). New technologies for intra-operative near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging of tumors will be used in order to facilitate radical removal of tumor tissue and local (lymph node) metastases whilst leaving healthy tissue intact, thereby increasing life expectancy and quality of life for cancer patients. Research work will be aimed at developing tumor-specific NIRF probes and sensitive NIRF camera systems that are capable of detecting these probes during surgical operations.
The principle investigator is Prof. Dr. Clemens Löwik, Professor of Molecular Endocrinology and Molecular Imaging at the Leiden University Medical Center. Since 1992 he has worked in the Department of Endocrinology at Leiden University and in 2006 was awarded a full professorship. His research focuses on developing new therapies for bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and bone metastasis. Within his research he is developing non-invasive molecular imaging technologies based on optical imaging to follow a variety of cellular and molecular processes including tumor progression and metastasis. Within Europe, he is one of the pioneers in this technology. He is one of the founder members and the current vice president of the European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI).
Percuros is pleased to be involved with MUSIS which is now our third CTMM award as an industrial partner. MUSIS, together with DECODE and PREDICCt, will now form the basis of Percuros’ research program to develop new assays using molecular imaging.
Click link for further information:
January 2009
Percuros has been involved now for five months working within a consortium, including Prosensa, Leiden University Medical Centre and the Free University of Amsterdam, in the IOP Genomics IGE07001 project to look at different clinical and technological applications of gene expression engineering by exon skipping.
Percuros is in the early stage of development of molecules for the anabolic therapy of osteoporosis by manipulation of the Wnt pathway. The use of exon skipping in the perturbation of elements in this pathway is one of the strategies being considered to achieve re-growth of bone tissue. Percuros’ molecular imaging expertise is being shared by all the partners of this project.
