Recipient: Charité - University Medicine Berlin
Funding: GO-Bio Phase I (01.09.2016 bis 28.02.2021, 2.146.050 Euro)

Summary

Around 260,000 people suffer a stroke every year in Germany. Such an event also increases the risk of a secondary cerebral infarction. According to experts, 15 per cent of patients will suffer another stroke within one year. While the clinical symptoms and the causes of strokes differ greatly from patient to patient, the clinical care currently lacks individual and personalised diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

This is the starting point for the GO-Bio project by the Berlin-based team, which is headed by neurosurgeon Dietmar Frey. In recent years, the researchers at the Charité have developed a prototype of a computer model. Using this digital diagnostic procedure, they aim to create a first approach to stroke prognosis that is specifically tailored to each individual patient. In addition, the simulation software can assist in the determination of the optimal individual therapy for stroke prevention.

Thereby, a unique feature is the software’s use of generally available clinical data for its individual risk predictions and for therapy planning. On the basis of patient-related MRI or CT images of the brain as well different blood pressure values, the software simulates how cerebral blood circulation behaves for a range of blood pressures. The system then quantifies the risk of stroke on a scale of one to five and compares different various options. Finally, the treating physician is provided with a personalised result report containing a range of blood circulation scenarios and therapy options, and which recommends the optimal treatment method for the stroke patient.

For the first phase of GO-Bio, the Berlin-based team is planning clinical trials for the validation of their software system, as well as activities for continued development and preparation up to commercial launch. The software will initially be used with patients who have suffered a minor stroke (transitory ischemic accident, TIA). Here, the aim is to analyse how the therapy is influenced and whether the recommended treatment type has actually prevented an occurrence of stroke.