Development of statistical and computational methods, tools, and infrastructure as well as data analysis, data management, and support for clinical researchers

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Tim Beißbarth
• Subject Area: General and Visceral Surgery
• Term: from 2007 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 33996666

The main objectives of this subproject are assessing individual response to neoadjuvant therapy and revealing non-tolerable toxic reaction to this therapy in patients with rectal cancer. For this appraisal, a score will be created based on a selected set of different biomarkers influenced by the different subprojects. The individual assessment is given by analyzing bioptic material, which is taken prior to therapy. To obtain the score-relevant data, gene expression will be analyzed using a custom microarray. This array has to be designed, preprocessed, and analyzed in collaboration with our DNA Microarray Facility (Transkriptomanalyselabor, TAL). Monitoring and data management will be performed in collaboration with the Department of Medical Informatics. For the intended projects, this Clinical Research Unit will need the basic IT-infrastructure that has been developed since 2001 at the University of Göttingen, in collaboration with several medical competence networks (KND, AHF, CJK). The Clinical Research Unit will incorporate these services, making it possible to use the available tools (e.g., image and biomaterial banks). After customizing to the different research projects, it will serve as operative infrastructure.

• DFG Programme: Clinical Research Units
• Subproject of: KFO 179: Biological Basis of Individual Tumour Response in Patients with Rectal Cancer
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Ulrich Sax