PRESSURE: “Preventing Therapy Resistance in Esophageal Cancer Treatment”.

The PRESSURE consortium brings together expert groups from the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Czech Republic, France, and Denmark, to address key challenges that preclude the effective treatment of EAC. This part of the project aims to tackle therapy resistance in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) by advancing state-of-the-art, non-invasive imaging methods for real-time analysis of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The selected candidate will conceptualize and create an innovative high-resolution multiparametric imaging system to detect molecular shifts within the TME, offering insights into treatment responsiveness. The imaging toolbox includes MRI, with a range of contrast methods such as T1-, T2-, T2*- and diffusion-weighted imaging. Data collection will involve both xenograft mouse models and human subjects. Additionally, ultrasound and photoacoustic techniques will be used to assess vascular and oxygenation status of the tumor. Machine learning algorithms will help integrate these various data streams into meaningful TME insights.