AneuX Modeling – Shape as a Biomarker for Instability of Intracranial Aneurysms

Beschreibung

Aneurysm is a disease of blood vessel walls that causes deformation and enlargement of the vascular lumen. Clinical decision-making is currently based on the location and size of the aneurysm and on empirical clinical observations. Changes in the vessel wall result in shape modifications that can be analyzed by modern imaging methodologies for computational modeling.

Tools to assess the size and shape of aneurisms promise to help clinicians predict disease progression for improved decision-making. Clinical data will be combined with millimeter and submillimeter scale 3D imaging and immune-histopathology of aneurisms in humans and animals and information on wall shear stress and wall tension as well as in vitro analysis of molecular biomarkers and biochemical networks in vessel wall tissue and blood to identify a predictive signature for aneurysm growth and rupture.

The predictive power of the disease model developed will be tested in a clinical trial. The project AneuX is a collaborative venture led by Dr. Philippe Bijlenga of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences of the University of Geneva Hospital. Additional Swiss partners are ETH Prof. Niels Kuster of the IT'IS Foundation, Dr. Sven Hirsch of the Institute of Applied Simulation (ZHAW), Prof. Brenda Kwak of the Department of Pathology and Immunology of the University of Geneva, Prof. Brigitte von Rechenberg of the University of Zurich Vetsuisse Faculty Equine Department, and Prof. Daniel Rüfenacht of the University of Zurich Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine.

The aim of the project is to develop tools for the medical community to use to quantify and analyze the 3D shapes of aneurisms and to test the hypothesis that aneurysm 3D shape can be used as a proxy for disease status.

Eckdaten

Projektleitung

Prof. Dr. Sven Hirsch

Projektteam

Roland Gassmann, Erich Zbinden, Dr. Norman Juchler, Dr. Sabine Schilling

Projektpartner

Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève; Université de Genève / Département de pathologie et d'immunologie; Forschungsstiftung für Informationstechnologie und Gesellschaft IT'IS; Universität Zürich UZH / Vetsuisse-Fakultät; Schweizerische Neuro Stiftung

Projektstatus

abgeschlossen, 03/2015 - 08/2019

Institut/Zentrum

Institut für Computational Life Sciences (ICLS)

Drittmittelgeber

SNF SystemsX.ch