ERC-StG-2015

What is PhysCon?

The Physiological Controls Research Centre (PhysCon) works in the interdisciplinary field of biomedical engineering, mainly in the area of physiological modelling, simulation and control, effectively supporting the development of medicine (both from a research and clinical point of view) by providing the actual knowledge of engineering.

The main research areas of PhysCon are related to diabetes (artificial pancreas), haemodialysis, biostatistics (evidence-based medicine) and cancer. For the latter, the PhysCon team has benefited from an EU ERC StG grant.

RESEARCH DATA

GENERAL INFORMATIONS

Research area

Engineering interdisciplinary research

Antiangiogenic therapy is aimed at stopping tumour angiogenesis (i.e. the development of the vasculature); therefore, at stopping tumour growth.
Modern robust control algorithms provide automated drug delivery

Conception

Present and future

In current clinical practice, there are general protocols for cancer therapies (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy):
- these treatments are associated with frequent and serious side effects,
- are not cancer-specific and are not personalized to the patient,
- Treatment costs are low but use is not optimal.
Our concept: control-based, personalised treatment
- these treatments have virtually no side effects,
- it provides personalised delivery of cancer-specific (anti-angiogenic) drugs,
- the cost of treatment is sufficiently low due to optimal drug dosing.

Objectives

Model identification and controller design

Create a mathematical tumour growth model under angiogenic inhibition, based on animal studies
Constant and variable quasi-continuous low-dose therapy protocol
Design optimal robust control algorithms for continuous low-dose therapy