New methodology for developing biomarkers of radiation-induced toxicity in brain tumour patients based on advanced mr imaging of the microvasculature and white matter microstructure

Principal Investigator: Dr. Frans Vos (TU Delft)

PhD student: Chieh Hsien Tseng (TU Delft)

Funding: HollandPTC – Varian 2018

Description

The aim is to create new MR imaging and image analysis techniques for the development of novel biomarkers of radiation toxicity to solve several limitations of currently available methods:

• High resolution combined dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) and dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MR imaging in a single MRI protocol
• Integrated analysis of DCE, DSC and High Angular Resolution Diffusion (HARDI) MRI to disentangle the different microvascular changes that are likely invoked by photon and/or proton therapy, and the effects on the white matter microstructure
• Development of methods to correlate changes in imaging parameters from DCE, DSC and HARDI MRI to cumulative applied dose and the Common Toxicity Criteria.

 In order to achieve the objectives, clinical pilot studies in brain tumour patients will be conduct, with a focus on low-grade gliomas (LGG): (1) undergoing photon radiotherapy and (2) proton therapy.