ELN Diagnostics Diagnostics Project Info  · 

Information about Project 10: Diagnostics

Created by: Hellenbrecht (ELIC) , generated 2006/02/14, last changed: 2006/05/10

Objectives

• Integrate all major diagnostic groups from Europe into a European Platform on Leukemia Diagnostics· Establish a diagnostic reference panel
• Extend the quality control rounds on the "reference center level"
• Develop and improve teaching facilities· Develop guidelines on a European scale· Expertise in telemedicine will be developed in cooperation with WP 3. Digitalization and transfer of morphology images enables the organization of tele-conferences with interactive participation of geographically distant cytologists. Several initiatives already exist in Europe and the platform will aim at harmonizing the connection between the various systems currently available and at developing telemicroscopy where it is not yet implemented.
• Propose harmonized immunophenotypic strategies
• Identify and characterize specific rare or new disease subtypes such as dendritic or NK cell proliferations or biphenotypic acute leukemias (BAL), in terms of their clinical behaviour and response to therapy
• Organize the storage and eventual exchange of leukemic cells for further research
• Organize an immunophenotypic European database for initial training and continuing education· Cooperation in Europe on basic and (pre-) clinical research, as well as diagnostic methods and spread of excellence on Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in adults
• Exchange of information, cooperation and integration of basic research

Description of work

Morphological and immunological evaluation of peripheral blood and bone marrow are the cornerstones for the diagnosis of leukemias. Thus, networking and major overlaps will occur with the WP 3, the diagnostic platforms in WP 11 - 13, and the clinical trials groups WPs 4 - 9.

Initially, the website and telemicroscopy will be installed. Several activities thereafter will be available on a regular basis including:

• ISDN-based telemicroscopical consulting system: It allows individual microscopical consultations at any time.
• Conferences of up to 20 institutions can take place once a week. The applications will allow physicians in community and university hospitals to consult European top-level experts in this field.
• Internet forum on leukemia diagnostics for interdisciplinary discussions of difficult cases: Participants of the network can take part in the Internet conferences which are stored for a long time. Down loading of all material implemented into each conference is easily possible.
• Expansion of the existing system of training courses on leukemia diagnostics. · Improvement of teaching facilities with special emphasis on new technologies. ·
• Morphological and immunological quality control rounds for laboratories specialized in leukemia diagnostics (participant level in contrast to the "reference center level"). ·
• European hematological slide and data bank.
• Cooperation in Europe on basic and (pre-) clinical research, as well as diagnostic methods and spread of excellence on Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in adults·
• Exchange of information, cooperation and integration of basic research

Besides organization of quality control rounds harmonization of immunophenotyping strategies and output will be major activities. Efforts will aim at standardized lineage assignment and classification of leukemias. Further areas of immunophenotyping investigations will pertain to designing specific panels for the detection and monitoring MRD by multiparametric flow cytometry. This task will be carried out in collaboration with WP6 and for predicting response to specific therapies.