This £5 million programme is made possible through funding from the Wellcome Trust Bioimaging Technology Development initiative.
Today, pathologists diagnose disease by analysing razor thin two-dimensional tissue sections under a microscope. But all components of the tissue, as for example cells and blood vessels, are three-dimensional objects. This is why the team will investigate how the analysis of the complex 3D tissue anatomy can aid the development of more informative disease models. Work in prostate cancer, bone marrow and skeletal health, and kidney disease, aims to connect fundamental pathological processes such as the build-up of scar tissue (fibrosis), inflammation, and changes in the vasculature. Using a concrete set of studies, the research programme will demonstrate potential impact on human health.
Translating novel insights into benefits to patients is core to the programme: The team aims to develop better tests to detect lethal prostate cancers earlier than currently possible. As we age, bone health is a major factor of our well-being. A detailed analysis of the structure of the bone marrow will provide new ways to investigate changes in bone health. Finally, we are going to look closely at how Lupus, an autoimmune condition, can cause damage to the kidneys. When Lupus affects the kidneys, it is called lupus nephritis. Through the collaboration with the University of Cape Town the programme will establish a unique international network for lupus nephritis focused on the inclusion of patients that are typically under-represented. As a result, it will be possible to develop tests that allow predicting response to treatment to identify effective treatments as early as possible.
This project and the Wellcome Trust bioimaging initiative as a whole gives us a unique opportunity to work across traditional divisions to develop technologies to take a new look at house we define and diagnose disease - Jens Rittscher
The programme is led by Professor Jens Rittscher, professor at the Department of Engineering Science in Oxford, and involves medical image analysis specialist Professor Konstantinos Kamnitsas, kidney disease expert Associate Professor Katherine Bull, Nuffield Department of Medicine, prostate cancer scientist Professor Ian Mills, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences and bone marrow expert Associate Professor Daniel Royston, Radcliffe Department of Medicine. In Cape Town, Dr Bianca Davidson leads the kidney disease study with clinical scientist Dr Nicola Wearne, Groote Schuur Hospital, pathologist Dr Brendon Price, Anatomical Pathology, and imaging expert Dr Michael Reiche, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. Internationally, the team will collaborate with Yale University, Charite in Berlin and US National Cancer Institute.