PIANOFORTE: a scientific European Commission programme on radioprotection that includes medical radioprotection research

The five-year research programme PIANOFORTE is calling for new projects to bid for funding to tackle various issues around radiation toxicity. The ESTRO community is encouraged to apply.

Toxicity caused to normal tissue is a limitation of radiotherapy efficacy that radiation oncologists, physicists and radiobiologists try to tackle. Implementation of a radiation dose to treat cancer cells must be offset against the need to decrease co-morbidity of healthy cells, which impacts the quality of patients’ lives. Much innovation in radiotherapies (FLASH, stereotactic, use of a grid to deliver a heterogeneous dose…) involves the use of strategies to reduce the deleterious effect on irradiated normal tissues that surround the tumour.

The European Partnership for Research in Radiation Protection has worked for decades to improve the protection of those who are exposed to accidental, occupational or medical doses of ionising radiation. Recently, the partnership has decided to develop scientific platforms that are dedicated to all areas of radioprotection/radiotoxicity. ESTRO is a founding member of the European Alliance for Medical Radiation Protection Research (EURAMED) to improve both medical care and medical radiation protection through sustainable research efforts. In this context, a five-year research programme, called PIANOFORTE, was started in 2022 to develop research activities that contributed to a better understanding and assessment of the biological and societal risks of radiation exposure.

PIANOFORTE is co-funded by the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) with a budget of €34m. Twenty-two European Union countries are participating, as well as the United Kingdom and Norway. A first call for research applications was launched in March 2023. The project areas were categorised into three different topics:

• development of a knowledge base for a better understanding of disease pathogenesis of ionising radiation-induced cancer to improve risk assessment;

• individualised diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with regard to optimisation of the benefit/risk ratio; and

• development of risk assessment and risk management approaches and technological capabilities to cope with scenarios that arise from threats due to war or armed conflicts or natural disasters, taking into consideration social, ethical and legal issues.

 

At least one of these topics is relevant to our community. In December, the results of the first call were presented during the general assembly of PIANOFORTE in Budapest, Hungary. Nine projects were selected, which represented 37% of the projects submitted. Of the nine projects, five were related to clinical applications: one in nuclear medicine, one in radiology and three in radiation therapy.

A second call for projects across four different topics was launched at the end of last month. Nine projects will be selected, at least one and a maximum of three of which will represent each topic. The maximum budget for a project is €1.5m. The topics are:

• the development of a knowledge base for a better understanding of disease pathogenesis of ionising radiation-induced cancer to improve risk assessment;
• the implementation of new and optimised radiotherapy approaches for better targeting to improve the protection of healthy tissues against the detrimental effects of ionising radiation;
• to ensure readiness and scientific knowledge to support environmental impact assessments and emergency preparedness and response for novel nuclear technologies; and
• the development of technologies and methods that go beyond effective doses in cases of internal exposure following a radiological or nuclear emergency. 

 

Again, one of these topics is of direct relevance to us. I hope that several translational projects will be proposed for funding. Those projects represent good opportunities to effectuate mirror research of EC H2020 calls more dedicated to anti-tumour efficacy. For more information, please visit the PIANOFORTE website: https://pianoforte-partnership.eu/.

PIANOFORTE is organising a workshop on “Artificial Intelligence and Radiation Protection”. The aim is to present and discuss current and future implementations of artificial intelligence in various sectors of radiation protection, such as medical applications, radiation dosimetry, radiobiology, radioecology, emergency preparedness, response and recovery.

 

Dr François Paris

Inserm, Nantes University, France