Von der Forschung in den OP – Neue Bildgebung für die Neurochirurgie

After a brain tumor has been diagnosed, complete resection is the first and crucial step in the treatment plan. However, even with the most modern surgical microscopes, it is still difficult to distinguish healthy brain tissue from diseased tumor tissue during surgery and to identify important fiber tracts that carry out vital functions. There is a high risk that a tumor cannot be completely removed or that neurological damage will occur after surgery.

This is precisely where the HORAO research project comes in. Specialists in optical physics, pathology, neurosurgery and artificial intelligence are working together to develop a new optical method that will lead to safer, faster and more precise tumor resections.

HORAO was born out of the minds of a few creative neurosurgeons at the Insel Hospital. They were looking for an answer to the question: How can healthy brain tissue be safely distinguished from tumor tissue? A global brainstorming, a so-called crowdsourcing competition, was designed to bring them closer to solving this medical problem. After the first Swiss crowdfunding in the field of medical research to generate funds, the crowdsourcing was completed in 2019 and the HORAO project by Ivan Gusachenko from France was chosen as the winner. Two years later, the international research team around HORAO received the prestigious Sinergia Grant from the SNSF, worth 2.3 million Swiss francs, which fully funds the research project for 4 years.

At HORAO, two international research teams from four institutions are working closely together. They include scientists from the Ecole polytechnique in Paris, Swiss doctors specializing in neurosurgery and neuropathology, experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and optical engineers. Prof. Philippe Schucht, MD, PhD, deputy head of the neurosurgery department and head of neuro-oncology at Inselspital in Bern, is the project manager. David Hasler is responsible for project coordination.