Diagnostics and therapy

Knowledge areas:

Neuroscience - Bionanotechnology - Regenerative medicine - Biotechnology - Medical imaging - Palliative medicine - Inflammation - Age and lifestyle related diseases and major widespread diseases

Norway has to participate actively in the international efforts to develop new ways to diagnose and treat diseases. We have a responsibility to use our wealth to develop new knowledge that can promote people's health, and it is also important to ensure creation and innovation within a large sector of the economy.

NTNU can use its position in technology to create a new understanding of basic disease mechanisms. We can also develop better tools for early diagnostics and effective treatment.

Technological innovations and development of new contrast media improves medical imaging (magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, positron emission tomography).

The pharmaceutical industry has been dominated by patented, big-selling, chemical medicines, so-called "blockbuster drugs". These are distinguished by multiple effects, low prices and effectiveness for large groups of patients – but they are not always as effective for each patient. For instance, 30–70 per cent of cancer patients do not respond to the therapy, which means that they undergo unnecessary treatment.

The new generation of medicines will to a much greater extent be developed using modern biotechnology, aimed to intervene in a known disease process in each patient, which is a more targeted and effective treatment.

Projects:

• Model based, noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease with 3D ultrasound and CT
• DrugLogics: Rational development of anti-cancer drug combinations
• Inhibition of bacterial mutagenesis and attacking new antibacterial targets with novel peptides and small molecules
• Computational sepsis mining and modelling
• In-Motion: Early diagnosis of cerebral palsy
• Tailored alginate hydrogel microbeads: Reducing immune responses that hamper their use in cell therapy