VPH-related projects & resources

Projects, initiative and resources relevant for the Virtual Physiological Human

VPH White Paper by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:36

Final document of the Workshop: “Towards virtual physiological human: Multilevel modelling and simulation of the human anatomy and physiology” Barcelona, Spain - 1-2 June 2005

LHDL by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-08-11 10:52

LHDL - Living Human Digital Library: Interactive digital library services to access collections of complex biomedical data on the musculo-skeletal apparatus. This is an EUROPEAN COMMISSION Framework 6 funded project.

Privireal by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-03-15 17:05

PRIVIREAL is a EUROPEAN COMMISSION Framework 5 funded project examining the implementation of the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC in relation to medical research and the role of ethics committees.

Sciencebase Science Blog feed by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

This Science RSS News Feed is produced from material researched and written by David Bradley Science Writer in the fields of the physical sciences, astronomy, biology, biomedical science, chemistry, engineering, geology, life sciences, physics, zoology. The newsfeed sources articles from various webzines including Elemental Discoveries, PSIgate Spotlight, Reactive Reports, and SpectroscopyNOW magazines.

SYMBIOmatics by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-03-15 17:05

SYMBIOmatics - Synergies in Medical Informatics and Bioinformatics. The SYMBIOmatics an EUROPEAN COMMISSION Framework 6 funded project by the ICT for Health unit in the Directorate General Information Society.

AneurIST by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-03-15 17:05

AneurIST - Integrated Biomedical Informatics for the Management of Cerebral Aneurysms. This is an EUROPEAN COMMISSION Framework 6 funded project.

ImmunoGrid by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-03-16 11:16

ImmunoGrid - The European Virtual Human Immune System Project. ImmunoGrid is an EU funded project which started on the 1st February 2006 with the aim of simulating the human immune system by Grid technologies.

Visible Human Server by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

The Visible Human Server at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) is operated by the Peripheral Systems Lab (Prof. R.D. Hersch and his team); it provides a virtual anatomic construction kit on the web using the Visible Human dataset. The applets available on this site provide the following features: * Extract slices, curved surfaces, and slice animations from both datasets (male and female) * Interactively navigate by slicing through the male dataset in real-time * Construct 3D anatomical scenes using combinations of slices and 3D models of internal structures from the male dataset, and extract 3D animations * Add voice comments to video sequences generated using the applets

METI Human Patient Simulators by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

METI is a world leader in the production of Human Patient Simulators (HPS) aka Stan (Standard Man), the Man who saves more lives. At every level of patient care, hands-on experience is the best teacher. The Human Patient Simulator (HPS) – a computer-model-driven, full-sized mannequin – delivers that experience in true-to-life scenarios that swiftly change to meet instructors’ goals. The ultra sophisticated and highly versatile HPS blinks, speaks and breathes, has a heartbeat and a pulse, and accurately mirrors human responses to such procedures as CPR, intravenous medication, intubation, ventilation, and catheterization.

Health First Europe by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

Health First Europe is an alliance of patients, healthcare workers, academics, experts and industry, which aims to ensure that equitable access to modern, innovative and reliable medical technology and healthcare is regarded as a vital investment in the future of Europe. It is supported by EUCOMED, an EU trade organisation of medical technology manufacturers.

IUPS Physiome Project Roadmap by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

The IUPS Physiome Project aims to facilitate the understanding of physiological function in healthy and diseased mammalian tissues by developing a multi-scale modeling framework that can link biological structure and function across all spatial scales. To achieve this requires an open-source internationally collaborative effort to build model databases and computational tools. The roadmap proposed here covers the development of standards for describing mathematical models of biological structure and function and their associated markup languages. Also considered are the development of web-accessible model databases and the various tools needed for authoring, combining and displaying models and running simulations with the models. A number of examples are given of both current usage of the physiome models and software, and anticipated future end-user requirements.

BioSAPIENS by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-15 16:14

A European Network for Integrated Genome Annotation, Network of Excellence EU funded project, contract N. 503265, within Sixth Framework Programme. The objective of the BioSAPIENS is to provide an infrastructure to support a large scale, concerted effort to annotate genome data by laboratories distributed around Europe.

BioSim Network of Excellence by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-09-14 18:07

BioSim is a Network of Excellence established by the European Commission under its 6th Framework Programme. BioSim was initiated on December 1, 2004. The main objective of the Network is to demonstrate how the use of modern simulation technique through a deeper and more qualitative understanding of the underlying biological, pathological and pharmacological processes can lead to a more rational drug development process, improved treatment procedures, and a reduction in the needs for animal experiments.

Biomedical Informatics Research Network by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

The American Biomedical Informatics Research Network is a shared biomedical IT infrastructure to hasten the derivation of new understanding and treatment of disease through the use of distributed knowledge. Drawing upon the expertise and technologies available at numerous institutions, the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN) is building an infrastructure of networked high-performance computers, data integration standards, and other emerging technologies, to pave the way for medical researchers to transform the treatment of disease.

Laerdal Human Patient Simulators by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

Lardal is a Norway-based company that produces SimMan, a world-leading Human Patient Simulator. The SimMan simulator offers you the ability to provide simulation education to challenge and test your students' clinical and decision-making skills during realistic patient-care scenarios. Extremely realistic, yet affordable and portable, the SimMan simulator was specifically designed to meet the scenario-based training needs of anesthesia, ACLS, ATLS, and difficult airway management.

Nanomedicine EU Technology Platform by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

This document describes the NanoMedicine European Technology Platform that in proposers intentions should addresses ambitious, responsible research, development and innovation in Nanotechnology for Health to strengthen the competitive scientific and industrial position of Europe in the area of NanoMedicine and improve the quality of life and health care of its citizens.

BioSapiens Network of Excellence by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

A European Virtual Institute for Genome Annotation. BioSapiens is a Network of Excellence, funded by the European Union's 6th Framework Programme, and made up of bioinformatics researchers from 25 institutions based in 14 countries throughout Europe. The objective of the BioSapiens is to provide a large scale, concerted effort to annotate genome data by laboratories distributed around Europe, using both informatics tools and input from experimentalists.

The Health Status of the European Union - 2003 by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

The European Community is increasingly concerned with ensuring the physical wellbeing of its citizens by reinforcing its activities in the field of public health. One of the main pillars for Community action is to review and present accurate data on health status to a wider audience, achieved through the publication of Community Health Status Reports. The aim of these reports is to improve public knowledge and understanding of major health problems in the Community in order to support the appropriate measures at Community, Member State or individual levels.

ENFIN by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-15 16:47

an Experimental Network for Functional INtegration, Network of Excellence EU funded project, contract N. 518254, within Sixth Framework Programme. The purpose is to provide in the area of bioinformatics a Europe-wide integration of computational approaches in systems biology. This network will be focused on the development and critical assessment of computational approaches in this area, but uniquely will bring together a range of backgrounds and laboratory contexts that will span investigative computer science through to traditional wet-bench molecular biology.

EMBRACE by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-15 17:22

A European Model for Bioinformatics Research and Community Education. Network of Excellence EU funded project, contract N.512092, within Sixth Framework Programme.The objective of this network is to draw together a wide group of experts throughout Europe who are involved in the use of information technology in the bio molecular sciences. The EMBRACE network will optimise informatics and information exploitation by pure and applied biological scientists in both the academic and commercial sectors. The network will work to integrate the major databases and software tools in bio informatics, using existing methods and emerging Grid service technologies.

BIOCARE by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-15 18:15

Molecular Imaging for Biologically Optimised Cancer Therapy. Integrated Project EU funded, contract N. 505785. Early tumour detection and response monitoring require maximum sensitivity and specificity of the imaging methods. The programme focuses on the clinical evaluation and development of new more specific molecular tracers for the early detection of tumour cells. A large number of new and potentially more specific tracers than fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) will be tested including amino-acid analogues, small tumour-binding peptides, aptamers, peptides binding to mutant p53 proteins and nanoparticles. The more tumour specific the tracer, the more accurately it will be possible to image the true tumour cell density, and more importantly, the true response of the tumour to therapy

Business Briefing: Medical Device Manufacturing & Technology 2005 by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:37

Business Briefing: Medical Device Manufacturing & Technology 2005 will serve as an indispensable source of information to manufacturers of finished medical devices, IVD manufacturers and outsourcing service manufacturers, enabling them to keep abreast of the latest technologies, materials and services in order to maintain and develop leading-edge medical device applications.

WTEC Panel on Systems Biology by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-15 15:50

The goal of this study is to gather information on the worldwide status and trends in systems biology: “Network Behavior in Biological Systems” and to disseminate it to government decision makers and the research community.

3D-REPERTOIRE by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-15 18:09

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Determine the Structures of Protein Complexes in a model organism.Integrated Project EU funded, contract N.512028.Progress of modern biology requires understanding and harnessing the network of interactions between genes, proteins and the functional systems that these produce. Given the complexity of even the most primitive living organism and our still very limited knowledge, it is unreasonable to expect that in the near or even medium term we might reach such understanding at the level of an entire cell.

Digital Human by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 14:19

The Digital Human project is an Open Source Software Consortium using 21st Century information technology tools to represent the body's processes from DNA molecules and proteins to cells, tissues and gross anatomy. Understanding complex biological systems requires an enormous amount of experiments producing considerable amounts of information all of which are not currently tied together. Computers are making it easier to visualize these systems and can also serve as an essential tool to link information together. Having a shared framework would allow researchers, medical personnel and engineers to build on eachother's work as well as allow biomedical researchers to work effectively together to develop a language that will allow this to happen.

Interaction Proteome by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 14:41

Functional Proteomics: Towards defining the interaction proteome. Integrated Project EU funded project, contract N.505520, within Sixth Framework Programme. The aim is to establish Europe as the international scientific leader in functional proteomics, i.e. in the analysis of protein-protein interactions. Major objectives include the establishment of a broadly applicable platform of routine methods for the analysis of protein interaction networks. A multidisciplinary appoach is laid out to address different aspects of the generation of protein-interaction data; their validation by cell biological, biochemical and biophysical methods; their collection in a new type of public database; and their exploitation and use for in silico simulations of protein-interaction networks.

COST B21 by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-28 15:02

COST B21 ‘Physiological Modelling of MR Image Formation’ is a concerted action funded by the European Commission under the COST programme (administered by the European Science Foundation). There are 20 countries involved in the action.It’s aim is to utilise the capabilities of MRI in measurement of tissue parameters to allow the modelling of human body function. To this end, MRI techniques and image analysis software are under collaborative development with multicentre testing. The project runs until the end of 2007.

Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative - BISTI by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-28 15:09

Recognizing the potential benefits to human health that can be realized from applying and advancing the field of biomedical computing, the Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative (BISTI) was launched at the NIH in April 2000. This initiative is aimed at making optimal use of computer science and technology to address problems in biology and medicine. The full text of the original BISTI Report (June 1999) is available.

EXGENESIS by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:22

Health benefits of exercise: identification of genes and signalling pathways involved in effects of exercise on insulin resistance, obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Integrated Project EU funded project, contract N. 5272, within Sixth Framework Programme. The European Union, like the rest of the world, is faced with an epidemic of the related chronic conditions, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Unless steps are taken to alleviate this crisis, the cost of treating the long-term consequences of these conditions could overwhelm our healthcare systems. Although genetic factors increase the risk of developing these conditions, their rapid current global rise must be due to environmental factors. Obesity and insulin resistance, both precursors of Type 2 diabetes, arise due to an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. The aim of the consortium is to provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, especially in terms of the signalling pathways and changes in gene expression, that provide these beneficial effects of exercise.

Biomedical Computation Review by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-28 15:13

In addition to disseminating information about the latest research in biomedical computation, the goal is to foster community amongst the wide audience interested in any and all aspects of biomedical computing. Whether you are a long time researcher in this area or new to it, please consider joining those who have already started to participate in Biomedical Computation Review.

Virtual Soldier Research by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 14:07

The VSR program is an independent program within the Center for Computer-Aided Design of the College of Engineering at The University of IowaThe objective of VSR is to develop a new generation of digital humans comprising realistic human models including anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, and intelligence in real-time. VSR's philosophy is based on a novel optimization-based approach for empowering these digital humans to perform, un-aided, in a physics-based world. Our objective is to test digital mockups of products and systems before they are built, thus reducing significant costs and time associated with making prototypes. We are a group of 36 researchers from all kinds of disciplines that have come together to create a digital human called SantosTM.

GEHA by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 14:51

GEnetics for Healthy Aging. Integrated Project EU funded project, contract N. 503270, within Sixth Framework Programme. The aim is to identify genes involved in healthy aging and longevity, allowing individuals to survive to advanced old age in good cognitive and physical function and in the absence of major age-related diseases. To achieve this aim a coherent, tightly integrated program of research that unites demographers, geriatricians geneticists, genetic epidemiologists, molecular biologists, bioinfomaticians and statisticians has been set up. The genetic analysis will be performed by 8 high throughput platforms, within the framework of a centralized database.

The SimBios Project by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-28 15:02

The Simbios project aims to establish a National Center for Physics-Based Simulation of Biological Structures (Simbios) to help integrate the field of physics-based modeling in biomedicine and accelerate future research. The main goal is the development of an Open Source toolkit (simTK <https://simtk.org/xml/index.xml>) that will enable biomedical scientists to develop and share accurate models and simulations of biological structures from atoms to organisms.

EUREGENE by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-06-16 15:29

European Renal Genome Project. Integrated Project EU funded project, contract N. 5085, within Sixth Framework Programme. Diseases of the kidney represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. The elderly are disproportionately affected, but renal disease is also a condition that severely affects children. An estimated 4.5 Million Europeans suffer from renal disorders. The death rate in patients with renal failure is 20% annually. The goal is to discover genes responsible for renal development and disease, their proteins and their actions.

The GIOME Project by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-08-11 10:36

The GIOME Project is launched by the Center of Excellence in Visceral Biomechanics and Pain facilities integrative modelling of physiological and pathophysiological processes and the sharing of data, ideas and designs generated by gastroenterologists worlwide. The vision and the goal is to improve life for patients with gastrointestinal disorders. The project attempts to model interactions between cells, tissues and gastrointestinal organs in health and disease.

The Epitheliome Project by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-08-11 10:26

The Epithelial tissues form the barriers between us and the outside world - our skin, the lining of all our body cavities (mouth, lungs, cervix, bladder, prostate gland, our intestines). They are very thin - typically about 0.5 mm thick, perhaps 10 cells - but have specialised functions. Key to epithelial behaviour is the protective barrier function coupled with enormous repair potential. Thus skin prevents us dehydrating and protects us from disease organisms, the bladder epithelium (the urothelium) is watertight and prevents urine damage or contamination of circulating blood, the lining of our intestines protects us from potentially damaging ingested material (e.g. bacteria) while selectively absorbing nutrients. It is not surprising giving the role of epithelia and their proliferative potential that all cancers, other than those originating from haemopoietic and mesenchymal cells, originate in epithelial tissues, which are relatively simple.

The Innovative Medicines Initiative: Strategic Research Agenda by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2007-01-10 13:05

IMI is a European Technology Platform launched by the European Commission (EC Directorate General Research) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) in 2004. Pending a favourable decision by the EU Institutions, the European Commission and EFPIA propose to create and operate a new Public Private Partnership, the IMI Joint Undertaking. The IMI Joint Undertaking will fund Patient Centred Projects. Patient Centred Projects are defined as research projects addressing the principle causes of delay, or bottlenecks, slowing down the development of innovative medicines. Patient Centred Projects will be conducted and supported through a unique type of public and private collaborations between European patient organisations, universities, hospitals, regulatory authorities, and small and large companies. IMI Patient Centred Projects will address the principle causes of delay, or bottlenecks, in the current process of discovering and developing new medicines. These research projects will not develop new drugs per se but will generate new knowledge about diseases and new tools and technologies, thus, better underpinning, improving and accelerating development of new therapies.

The Cardiac Computations Project by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-08-11 10:43

The purpose of the project is to develop an efficient and accurate simulator for the electrical and mechanical behavior of the heart. Mathematically, the problem is formulated as a system of partial and ordinary differential equations, and the main focus of the project so far has been on solvig these equations efficiently. Recently, the scope has bee extended to using the simulations to study problems related to cardiac function.

BioBridge by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-08-30 18:28

Integrative Genomics and Chronic Disease Phenotypes: modelling and simulation tools for clinicians. The omics revolution of recent years has led to an explosion of data. This information, however, is currently fragmented, which limits progress on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of complex chronic disorders. A major constraint for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the biomedical field is the lack of appropriate tools for data integration and simultaneous analysis of different levels of information. BioBridge tackles this problem with the creation of the BioBridge portal.

HAEMODEL by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2006-11-14 12:35

Mathematical modelling of the cardiovascular system. The multidisciplinary knowledge required for effective research in this area is not available as part of any normal academic curriculum. The training program will largely be focused on individual development and tuition at the various institutes involved. This will be supported and reinforced by an exchange programme between the partners. Three one-week workshop/tutorial sessions are planned. These will be a combination of tutorials on relevant topics of interest by senior group members and lectures and presentations (by group members or others). The second and third workshops will provide an opportunity for research students to present their work

TUMATHER by annalisa bandieri — last modified 2007-01-19 17:40

TUMATHER (Modelling, Mathematical Methods and Computer Simulation for Tumour Growth and Therapy) is a Research Training Network funded by the European Commission aimed at developing mathematical models, algorithms, and computer software to simulate tumour growth and to support therapeutic actions, e.g., control of angiogenic phenomena, activation of the immune response, optimization of therapeutical protocols. The research activity focuses on the development of the whole modeling process from phenomenological observation to simulation and validation, through the design of mathematical models and their qualitative and quantitative study, in order to simulate tumor evolution within the full range of scales (from sub-cellular to macroscopic) and between scales