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Radboudumc and the University of Twente (UT) are jointly investing in four cutting-edge medical technology research projects aimed at developing technical solutions to medical challenges. As part of the long-term Twente University Radboudumc Opportunities (TURBO) program, four interdisciplinary research teams, consisting of experts from both Radboudumc and UT, will receive a total of €320,000 (€80,000 per project) to advance their work.
TURBO is a key initiative within the recently launched HealthTech Nexus strategic partnership between Radboudumc and the University of Twente. The winners were announced on Wednesday 16 October.
The winners are:
Project title: Blood flow Evaluation After carotid surgical Treatment (BEAT); towards an improved treatment strategy for patients with carotid artery stenosis
Michel Reijnen (UT) & Anne Saris (Radboudumc)
Each year in the Netherlands, approximately 3,000 patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, who are at risk of stroke, undergo carotid endarterectomy (CEA), a surgical procedure to remove plaque from the artery. Two commonly used techniques for this procedure are CEA with patch repair (CEAP) and a socalled eversion technique (ET). It is the surgeon’s choice to perform either one of them, but they face a challenge in optimal patient-specific treatment selection especially regarding effectivity and safety of the procedure.
Long-term studies suggest that CEAP is associated with a higher rate of restenosis (re-narrowing of the artery) compared to ET. It is well known that the way blood flows through arteries is important in the development of atherothrombosis. Preliminary results from a pilot study revealed significant blood flow recirculation in patients who recently underwent CEAP, which may contribute to this increased risk of restenosis.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to better understand how surgical techniques influence local blood flow and, consequently, restenosis risk. The researchers propose a multi-center study (involving Radboudumc, MST, Rijnstate, and ETZ) to evaluate post-surgical blood flow patterns following the two different procedures, ET and CEAP. Their hypothesis is that disturbed blood flow, assessed using ultrasound-based velocity vector imaging (US-VVI), will be more pronounced after CEAP, potentially explaining the higher restenosis rate.
The BEAT study will serve as a critical first step towards advocating for a larger, randomized trial to directly compare both surgical techniques and determine which should be the preferred standard.
Project title: Combining bubbles and spheres to optimize liver cancer treatment
Erik Groot Jebbink (UT) & Frank Nijsen (Radboudumc)
Primary liver tumors are among the most frequent cancers worldwide. Unfortunately, only 10–20% of patients can be treated with curative methods like surgery or transplant. This leaves many patients with palliative treatments, such as radioembolization (RE). RE involves injecting small radioactive particles into the tumor's blood vessels. These particles stay there and emit radiation to shrink the tumor. However, the success of this treatment varies greatly, likely due to a lack of control during the procedure.
Researchers now aim to improve this by conducting a patient pilot study where harmless microbubbles are used as precursors to the radioactive particles. First, experiments will be done at the University of Twente to study how microbubbles interact with the radioactive particles. This will be followed by tests on liver tissue outside the body (ex-vivo) to optimize the treatment approach. The project will end with a pilot study to gather initial results on whether this method can work inside the body (in vivo).
This project combines the expertise of University of Twente (development and lab testing) and Radboud University (RU) (clinical studies), creating strong collaboration and providing a solid foundation for larger future research grants.
Project title: NoveL TUbular Renal Bioreactor for iOn transport (NL -TURBO)
Dimitrios Stamatialis (UT) & Jeroen de Baaij (Radboudumc)
Patients with genetic problems affecting kidney ion channels and transporters in the distal tubule often have low potassium (hypokalemia) or magnesium (hypomagnesemia), leading to seizures, heart rhythm issues, and muscle cramps. Unfortunately, there is no treatment available for these patients yet. A major obstacle in developing therapies is the limitations of current cell culture models.
At Radboudumc, tubuloids have been used to study ion transport in the kidney's collecting duct. However, commercial cell culture systems cannot fully recreate the kidney tubule's 3D environment, making it difficult to study ion transport properly. Therefore, new culture systems are urgently needed to allow ion transport studies using tubuloids.
At the University of Twente, hollow fiber membranes have been developed to grow kidney cells in a way that mimics the structure of kidney tubules, and flow of fluid. The NL-TURBO project brings together the unique expertise of Radboudumc and UT to develop an advanced culture system for the distal tubule. These results will be used for preparing a consortium grant application, including academic, societal, and industrial partners to generate a high throughput, high quality model for studying kidney diseases and testing drugs.
Project title: Towards Green Healthcare: A framework to Integrate Environmental Sustainability into Health Technology Assessment
Shiva Faeghinezhad (UT) & Hugo Touw (Radboudumc)
This research project addresses the paradox that while healthcare protects human health, it also contributes to climate change, which harms health. The goal is to make healthcare more sustainable by integrating environmental impact analysis into the evaluation of health technologies for treating Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Specifically, it will apply Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a method for assessing environmental impact, to two types of dialysis: Hemodialysis (HD) at a hospital or clinic, and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) at home.
The LCA will examine everything involved in these treatments, from raw materials to waste management, including things like transportation, energy use, and disposable materials. Alongside this, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) will be used to review existing evidence and conduct economic analyses to understand the costs and benefits of these treatments. This will include simulations to reflect individual patient needs and assess the reliability of the findings through sensitivity analyses.
Stakeholder input will be gathered through interviews to ensure a broad perspective. The project aims to create a framework for integrating environmental and health assessments, showing how sustainability can lead to greener healthcare solutions. The team will work with experts from different fields to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and strengthen future research efforts.
About the TURBO program
TURBO ('Twente University RadBoudumc Opportunities') is a joint grant program of the University of Twente and Radboudumc for medical technology research. The program is part of HealthTech Nexus, the strategic partnership between Radboudumc and University of Twente at the intersection of healthcare and medical technology.
Within TURBO, four research groups from the University of Twente (TechMed Centre) and the Radboudumc receive an annual grant of €80,000 to work together on an innovative project. The grant helps researchers prepare their projects for a follow-up application to an external funding provider, such as national or European funds and companies within the field of health and care.
Launched in 2017, the program has already supported 28 research groups for over 2 million euros. Thanks in part to TURBO, Radboudumc and University of Twente have now completed joint research projects worth more than 19 million euros.
For more information on the TURBO grants, see TURBO program and grants - Radboudumc or Universiteit Twente (TechMed Centrum).
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