11 million euros for EU research project on inflammatory diseases: Kiel researchers coordinate international cooperation
New project ‘PerPrev-CID’ investigates innovative approaches for the early diagnosis and personalised prevention of rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) belong to the most common chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). While significant research efforts have led to improvements in treatment, there remains a lack of risk prediction tools and preventive interventions for these diseases. The European research project PerPrev-CID (Personalised Disease Prediction and Prevention in Chronic Inflammatory Disorders) sets out to fill this gap by exploring new standards for early molecular diagnosis and treatment of these diseases in order to offer patients more effective care.
The project is coordinated by the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), the Faculty of Medicine at Kiel University (CAU) and the Cluster of Excellence ‘Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation’ (PMI) and brings together 15 international research institutions from 8 countries. It will receive a total funding of 11 million Euros from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation over the next five years. In addition, the Swiss government will contribute over 2.5 million Euros in funding for the Swiss Associate Partners.
Chronic inflammatory disease (CIDs) are disorders of the immune system, which are characterized by uncontrolled inflammation and subsequent tissue destruction in different organ systems. They place a considerable strain on patients and healthcare systems. By 2030, it is predicted that more than 10 % of the European population will be affected. At the same time, there is a considerable unmet medical need, particularly in the areas of prevention and early intervention.
Study objective: Detecting early disease progression
Therefore, PerPrev-CID aims to develop new standards for preventing and treating two prototypic CIDs rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at an early stage. “We want to gain a deeper understanding of early disease progression focusing on mechanisms, biomarkers and innovative patient-centred outcome measures to develop actionable decision support tools for identifying individuals at risk for IBD and RA. This transformation of medicine is now in reach with innovation in molecular technologies and computational methods,” explains Professor Philip Rosenstiel, director of the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology at UKSH and Kiel University, and scientific coordinator of the PerPrev-CID consortium.
Building on prior and ongoing EU research efforts to optimise targeted therapies, PerPrev-CID will analyse cross-sectional and longitudinal Omics-data sets (e.g. genomics, metabolomics, proteomics) as well as clinical phenotypes from patients and at-risk individuals to identify markers that predict transitions to active disease, disease progression and early disease relapse. To better monitor individual disease progression and patients’ well-being, PerPrev-CID also develops safe digital health technologies such as wearables and apps to track a range of objective health indicators, and enable continuous, digital monitoring of patient data. The network will develop innovative biomarkers from home-based sampling methods of biomaterials such as blood and stool. Furthermore, the project will assess the effectiveness of a nutritional intervention targeting the tryptophan metabolic axis in preventing disease flares and progression in early RA and IBD.
Patient-centred research for maximal patient outcomes
“A shift towards earlier interventions is now crucial to maximise patient outcomes,” says Stefan Schreiber, Director of the Dep. of Internal Medicine I at UKSH, Kiel Campus, and speaker of the Cluster of Excellence PMI, who is leading the clinical intervention part in PerPrev-CID. “If we really want to transform our approach to these disorders, we have to develop rationale, low-threshold health-promoting interventions in individuals at risk to re-program disease at the earliest possible time point.”
Through these efforts and a strong focus on patient involvement, the project significantly contributes to empowering patients and advancing patient-centred research. “We aim to challenge the traditional top-down approach in medical research by promoting co-creation, where patients and individuals at risk of RA or IBD are engaged as active stakeholders throughout the research process. This involvement empowers them to actively participate in decisions regarding their health,” says Rosenstiel. Moreover, PerPrev-CID will provide health professionals with advanced tools and scientifically validated data on omics, diet, and lifestyle factors, enabling personalised patient care. These resources will serve as blueprints for future personalised healthcare initiatives, advancing patient-centred clinical practice.
Project Key Facts:
Title: Personalised Disease Prediction and Prevention in Chronic Inflammatory Disorders (PerPrev-CID)
Start: 1 January 2025
Duration: 60 months
Budget: € 11 Mil. + € 2.5 Mil. (Swiss government)
Coordinator: University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Germany
Website: www.perprev-cid.eu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/perprev-cid
PerPrev-CID Partners
Belgium
European Federation of Crohn`s And Colitis Associations
Université de Liège
VIB VZW
Germany
Kiel University
Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) e.V.
EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH
University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel (UKSH)
Israel
Weizmann Institute of Science
Italy
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Lithuania
Lietuvos Sveikatos Mokslu Universitetas
Lietuvos Sveitakos Mokslu Universiteto Ligonine Kauno Klinikos
Netherlands
Stichting Radboud Universiteit
Switzerland
European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology
Université de Genève
UK
The University of Manchester
Project Coordinator:
Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel
Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Prof. Dr. Philip Rosenstiel
p.rosenstiel@mucosa.de
Project Management:
EURICE – European Research and Project Office GmbH
Dr. Lorena Consolino
l.consolino@eurice.eu
Scientific coordinator of the PerPrev-CID consortium is Professor Philip Rosenstiel, director of the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology at UKSH and Kiel University, and member of the Cluster of Excellence ‘Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation’ (PMI).
About the Cluster of Excellence PMI
The Cluster of Excellence "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation" (PMI) is being funded from 2019 to 2025 through the German Excellence Strategy (ExStra). It succeeds the "Inflammation at Interfaces” Cluster, which was already funded in two periods of the Excellence Initiative (2007-2018). Around 300 members from eight institutions at four locations are involved: Kiel (Kiel University, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN)), Lübeck (University of Lübeck, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH)), Plön (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology) and Borstel (Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center).
The goal is to translate interdisciplinary research findings on chronic inflammatory diseases of barrier organs to healthcare more intensively, as well as to fulfil previously unsatisfied needs of the patients. Three points are important in the context of successful treatment, and are therefore at the heart of PMI research: the early detection of chronic inflammatory diseases, the prediction of disease progression and complications, and the prediction of individual responses to treatment.
Press office
Cluster of Excellence "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation"
Scientific Office
Christian-Albrechts-Platz 4, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Contact: Sonja Petermann
+49 (0)431 880-4850
spetermann@uv.uni-kiel.de
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