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

Impact

Opening new horizons in cancer treatment

  • Improve the effectiveness of cancer therapy
  • Reduce treatment costs
  • Minimise the side effects of therapy
  • Improve the patient’s quality of life (QoL)

Topic

  • ERC-StG-2015

Title of the proposal

  • Personalised cancer therapy using a model-based optimal robust control algorithm

Offer number

  • 679681

Proposed acronym

  • Tamed cancer

Duration in months

  • 60

Project starting date

  • 01.07.2016

Amount of aid

  • ca. 1 million EUR

Keywords

  • dern robust control
  • LPV model
  • identification of the model
  • targeted molecular therapy
  • anti-angiogenic therapy

Host institution

  • Óbuda University

Responsible department in the host institution

  • John von Neumann Faculty of Informatics

Main Host

  • Prof. Dr. habil Levente Adalbert Kovács

Partner institution

  • Semmelweis University

Contact for the partner organisation

  • Semmelweis University

- Our Team -

Dr. Dániel András Drexler
drexler.daniel@nik.uni-obuda.hu
Dr. György Eigner
eigner.gyorgy@nik.uni-obuda.hu
Dr. habil Tamás Ferenci
ferenci.tamas@nik.uni-obuda.hu
Dr. habil László Szilágyi
lalo@ms.sapientia.ro
Dr. József Klespitz
klespitz.jozsef@uni-obuda.hu
Péter Szalay
szalaip@iit.bme.hu
Dr. Orsolya Csiszár, PhD
ocsiszar@hs-esslingen.de
Dr. Dávid Csercsik
csercsik@itk.ppke.hu
Róbert Pethes
pethes.robert@phd.uni-obuda.hu
Krisztina Lovasne Reiszki
reiszki.krisztina@uni-obuda.hu
Krisztina Geresdi
geresdi.krisztina@gmail.com
Dr. Johanna Sápi
sapi.johanna@nik.uni-obuda.hu
Borbála Gergics
gergics.borbala@uni-obuda.hu
Martin Dömény
domeny.martin@uni-obuda.hu
Lehel Dénes-Fazakas
denes-fazakas.lehel@uni-obuda.hu
Ádám Hartvég
hartveg.adam@uni-obuda.hu
Barbara Simon
simon.barbara@uni-obuda.hu
Melánia Puskás
puskas.melania@uni-obuda.hu
Lilla Kisbenedek
kisbenedek.lilla@uni-obuda.hu
Gergely Pósfai
posfai.gergely@uni-obuda.hu
László Szász
szasz.laszlo@uni-obuda.hu
Vivien Patakvölgyi
patakvolgyi.vivien@uni-obuda.hu