Successful 2nd Euro-BioImaging User Forum on “Understanding and Fighting Cancer”

The second edition of the Euro-BioImaging User Forum was held on Thursday, October 14^th, 2021 - an afternoon of exchanges on the importance of imaging technologies in support of cancer research that highlighted the expertise available at Euro-BioImaging Nodes through case studies in tandem with the research community. Over 175 people joined us for this online event, including researchers, students, core facility staff and industry representatives from 26 countries in Europe and around the world. Euro-BioImaging thanks everyone who participated in this event - both speakers and audience!

If you missed it, please watch the recordings of these talks on YouTube.

The 2^nd Euro-BioImaging User Forum showed how imaging is fundamental in detection and managing cancer. A wide range of different approaches from biological and biomedical imaging were presented. Keynote speaker Jacky Goetz, INSERM/University of Strasbourg, explained how to use a combination of imaging approaches to track extracellular vesicles to understand cancer progression and tumor metastasis. The second keynote speaker, Marty Pagel, MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, presented a wide array of molecular imaging technologies for clinical oncology - from MRI pH imaging to Photo-acoustic Imaging to predict a tumor’s response to radiation. This impressive spectrum of imaging approaches was completed by presentations from the scientific community presented in tandem with Euro-BioImaging Nodes. These user presentations highlighted the excellent cancer research that has been carried out with technologies & expertise available in open access from Euro-BioImaging Nodes.

User presentations

Margarita Sobol, IMG, Czech Academy of Sciences, showed very impressive work on visualization of single-stranded DNA gaps with Electron Microscopy which allows the study of DNA repair and identification of potential biomarkers of PARPi sensitivity, work that was carried out at the Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy Node – Prague. Full abstract here.

Ricardo Rizzo, CNR Italy, explained how imaging data can illuminate Golgi transport processes and thereby outline the mechanism of action of the oncogene GOLPH3 based on glycosphingolipid metabolism, in work done at the Advanced Light Microscopy Italian Node. Full abstract here.

Christian Dullin of the University of Göttingen showed correlation of Phase Contrast CT and histology in tissue samples as well as a new porcine lung model with inducible nodules that can be imaged with X-ray Phase contrast, thanks to a virtual histology workflow set up in collaboration with the Phase Contrast Imaging Node in Trieste. Full abstract here.

Leonard Seelen of University Medical Center Utrecht presented a fascinating study based on metabolic imaging through High Field MRI to explore how chemotherapy helps increase survival in pancreatic cancer patients and prevent ineffective treatments, work done in collaboration with the Dutch High Field Imaging Hub. Full abstract here.

As the User Forum shows, Euro-BioImaging Nodes have their own unique specialization and expertise related to cancer research. The close collaboration between scientists and experts from open access imaging facilities such as Euro-BioImaging Nodes is leading to scientific outcomes that have a positive impact on human health.

Many thanks to all who participated in our first Euro-BioImaging User Forum. We look forward to seeing you at our 3rd User Forum – for a closer look at Infectious Disease.