ALCOVE

The INTERREG ALCOVE project, coordinated by Lille University Hospital, aims to improve lung cancer screening in the France-Wallonia-Flanders cross-border region, using a concerted, multidisciplinary and innovative approach.

Project objectives
The ultimate goal of the ALCOVE project is to offer a new, non-invasive and rapid tool to redefine the lung cancer screening process by:
• testing the use of an electronic nose by professionals as a new tool for medical dialogue
• assessing the ability of this electronic nose to detect the risk of lung cancer
• facilitating communication between at-risk populations and the healthcare system
• involving patients, healthcare professionals and institutions in a collaborative approach.
The aim is to promote earlier diagnosis and therefore better patient care, while optimising available resources.

Why is ALCOVE essential?
A major public health issue
Lung cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer in Europe. Diagnosis is often late, significantly reducing life expectancy to 5 years. ALCOVE offers early detection of this cancer by structuring targeted screening for people at risk.
A concrete impact on the region.
ALCOVE aims to address three major challenges for future screening:
• addressing the issue of low screening participation
• testing the miniaturised electronic nose device in real hospital settings
• proposing a model that can be transposed and replicated beyond the cross-border region.
A coordinated cross-border approach.
The project brings together hospitals, research centres and universities, and involves patient associations and institutions in France, Wallonia and Flanders. It is organised around six working modules covering technological, clinical and organisational aspects.

What ALCOVE will deliver
1. A simple, clinically validated screening aid for local healthcare professionals
2. Common data and indicators to guide health policies in terms of organised lung cancer screening
3. A screening model that can be transferred to other territories
4. Greater mobilisation of professionals, institutions and patients

MISSIONS OF MATERIA NOVA:
Materia Nova will aim to miniaturise the sensors identified as being the most effective, which will then be integrated into electronic noses. A stability study of these microsensors will be conducted to assess their effectiveness after cycling and to carry out ageing tests. These tests will enable the frequency of use of the microsensor in the electronic nose during clinical trials to be determined.
Materia Nova will also work on the mechanisms for reproducibility and mass production of these microsensors.
Several units will need to be produced for clinical validation in several hospitals. With a view to further miniaturisation, resistive sensors will be replaced by transistors.
Materia Nova will transfer the sensitive layers to the transistors developed by UReims.

Project start date: 1 October 2024
Duration: 4 years
Budget: €6.6 million co-financed by the ERDF (€3.9 million) and the Walloon Region.

Coordinator:
- Lille University Hospital (France)
Partners:
- ULiège (Wallonia)
- UMONS (Wallonia)
- ULille (France)
- IMT Nord Europe (France)
- Materia Nova (Wallonia)
- Eurasanté (France)
- Amiens Picardie University Hospital (France)
- Reims University Hospital (France)
- Artois Ternois Hospital Group (France)
- KU Leuven (Flanders)
- University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France)
- HELORA University Hospital (Wallonia)
- H.U.B Jules Bordet Institute (Brussels)
- UZGent (Flanders)
- Namur University Hospital (Wallonia)
- UZ Leuven (Flanders)

Project website: https://alcove.crosss3.eu/
LinkedIn
This project is funded by the Interreg France – Wallonia – Flanders programme: https://www.interreg-fwvl.eu/
CONTACT:
Driss Lahem
Tel: +32 (0)65 37 44 11
Driss.Lahem@materianova.be

To know more about this project