Astronomical Image Handling - Application to TMA Analysis: Exploiting AstroGrid/ CancerGrid Systems

癌症是遗传变化积累的结果，癌细胞基因组的变化破坏了正常的细胞功能。追踪病因、预测治疗效果和影响是一个复杂的问题，涉及到多维数据集的整合和分析.目前，英国正在进行涉及数千名患者的大型临床研究，旨在提供重要证据，支持对一系列癌症病因的调查。一个关键的挑战是提供一个接口，例如流行病学试验数据和来自组织微阵列的大容量数据（用于识别乳腺癌分类的标记）。CancerGrid项目正在提供一个电子基础设施，以支持临床试验。AstroGrid已经开发了一个框架来支持大型分布式天文图像的发现和分析，使用分布式计算的最新发展。科学数据本身是由复杂的图像处理管道对原始观测数据产生的。 该计划的目的是探索在天文领域开发的技术的新用途，为分析和整合大型医学图像中固有的挑战提供解决方案。这将包括使用针对特征分类优化的图像分析算法，在工作流程环境中集成医学应用程序，以及将结果丰富注释的结果与医学CancerGrid创建的信息基础设施相接口。该计划的成果将是新信息系统的设计和原型，以支持这些大型分布式数据流的处理，并增加了这些关键医学和天文学团体之间的合作途径。

Cancers result from the accumulation of genetic changes, with changesin the genome of the cancer cells disrupting normal cellularfunctions. Tracking the causes, and predicting the effects and impactof treatments is a complex problem, involving the the integration andanalysis of multi-dimensional datasets. Large clinical studies,involving many thousands of patients) are now underway in the UK aimedat providing vital evidence to support the investigation of the causesof a significant range of cancers. A key challenge is providing aninterface between for instance epidemiological trials data and highvolume data from tissue micro-arrays (used to for instance identifymarkers for breast cancer classification).The CancerGrid project is providing an e-infrastructure to to supporte-clinical trials. AstroGrid has developed a framework to support thethe discovery and analysis of large distributed astronomical imagesusing the latest developments in distributed computation. Thescientific data itself is generated by sophisticated image processingpipelines acting on the raw observational data. The aim of this programme is explore novel uses of techniquesdeveloped in the astronomical domain to provide solutions for thechallenges inherent in the analysis and integration of the largemedical imagery. This will include use of image analysis algorithmsoptimised for feature classification, integration of statisticalapplications in a workflow environment, and interface of the resultingrichly annotated results to the medical CancerGrid created informationinfrastructure.Outcomes from this programme will be designs and prototypes of newinformation systems to support the handling of these large distributeddata flows, and increased collaborative pathways between these keymedical and astronomical groups.