Fibrostenosis is the driving reason for the persistent need in bowel resections in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Current IBD therapies are limited to solely targeting inflammation. While these therapies in some, but not all, cases lead to symptomatic disease remission, recurrent flares interspaced with periods of remission will still result in cumulative gut wall remodeling and fibrosis. Indeed, despite these therapeutic strategies to control inflammation, fibrostenosis incidence and bowel surgical resection is not declining in IBD patients, as no anti-fibrotic drugs are currently available. The aim of this project is to validate fibroblast therapeutic targets for preventing and/or treating fibrosis in IBD-patient-samples with an emphasis on C3 and/or Tyk2/STAT3 and/or NLRP3 in the evolution of intestinal fibrosis. The anti-fibrotic efficacy and mode of action of these novel immunotherapies will be studied preclinically in IBD-patient derived samples and validated in animal models of chronic colitis. In parallel, we aim to develop and validate a clinical diagnostic and prognostic pathway for fibrosis in IBD patients based on the use of non-invasive cross-sectional imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance enterography with elastography and optoacoustic. These results together will allow to design a first-in-human proof of concept randomized trial of immunotherapeutic drugs targeting complement C3 and/or Tyk2/STAT3 and/or NLRP3 pathways in intestinal fibrostenosis. Our aim is to obtain patients and regulatory approval for implementation of these novel non-invasive imaging modalities as diagnostic and prognostic tools for fibrotic IBD to allow vital future therapeutic development for intestinal fibrosis. By providing better molecular and clinical stratification of IBD patients at risk for fibrosis and by identifying and validating novel targets for anti-fibrotic therapy, we aim to pave the way in preventing and treating this invalidating IBD comorbidity.

The European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) aims to improve the health and well-being of the 30 million people living with a rare disease in Europe, by making Europe a world leader in Rare Disease (RD) research and innovation, to support concrete health benefits to rare disease patients, through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This Partnership will deliver a RD ecosystem that builds on the successes of previous programmes by supporting robust patient need-led research, developing new diagnostic methods and pathways, spearheading the digital transformational change connecting the dots between care, patient data and research, while ensuring strong alignment of strategies in RD research across countries and regions. Structuring goal-oriented public-private collaborations targeted at interventions all along the R&D value chain will ensure that the journey from knowledge to patient impact is expedited, thereby optimising EU innovation potential in RD. To support its ambition and missions ERDERA has been designed as a comprehensive and integrated ecosystem of which structure can be compared to an institute encompassing three main parts: (i) funding, (ii) internal (in house) Clinical Research Network that implements research activities targeting clinical trial readiness of RDs and accelerating diagnosis and translation of research discovery into improved patient care, and (iii) related supporting services (Data, Expertise, Education and Training) as well as an acceleration hub that serve external and internal RD community, all supported by all-embracing coordination and strategy and foundational (inter)national alignment.

The "Widening Synergies for Novel Enzymes Development" (WIDEnzymes) project aims to foster the creation of a unique cross-border collaborative ecosystem devoted to advancing enzyme technology in the EU. This endeavor follows the well-established Profiling Regional Innovation Ecosystems methodology and centers its efforts on two key domains: joint internationalization and inclusive talent development. Through the implementation of strong synergies within the consortium, beneficiaries will be able to both enhance their potential and increase the impact of their research projects significantly. Sharing competencies and state-of-the-art equipment will allow the beneficiaries to increase their critical mass and scientific excellence, and therefore to compete in Horizon Europe calls with European countries whose R&I potential is traditionally more established. The inclusion of two non-widening partners, one academic and one SME, with strong expertise in innovations' exploitation, large public-private partnerships, and different EU funding applications is a key accelerator factor to elevate the consortium's preparedness and competitiveness. It is envisioned that the vigorous training and student exchange program implemented by WIDEnzymes will attract students and young researchers alike, thus allowing the creation of a highly educated and competitive workforce that can tackle ambitious research projects and secure funding at the European level. The WIDEnzymes project seeks to bridge borders and boundaries in the pursuit of cutting-edge enzyme technology. By fostering collaboration, leveraging funding opportunities, nurturing talent, adopting a multisector approach, and enhancing visibility, we aim to propel enzyme technology to new heights. Through these endeavors, we aspire to make a lasting impact on science, industry, and the society at large.

REMEDi4ALL aims to establish Europe's leadership globally in the repurposing of medicines by creating a vibrant community of practice covering all relevant sectors and disciplines. REMEDi4ALL will establish and operate a permanent European research and innovation platform comprising the complete value chain for cutting edge, patient-focused repurposing, collaborating with users to execute high potential projects at any phase of development, upskilling all stakeholder groups through a comprehensive education and training portfolio, and advancing cross-sectoral policy dialogue with all relevant stakeholders and thought leaders. The tools and processes developed assembled in REMEDi4ALL will be validated in a portfolio of 4 ambitious preclinical and clinical phase demonstrators, representing high patient need in a variety of disease areas, including oncology, rare and infectious diseases. The REMEDi4ALL platform will operate a complete, harmonised and accessible value chain integrating the scientific, methodological, financial, legal, regulatory, and intellectual property aspects of the repurposing approach in a goal-oriented and patient-centric approach. Working closely together with research funders and the patient community, REMEDi4ALL will engage and support a substantial user base and concomitant investments through a permanently sustainable entity, working closely with the permanent European Infrastructures and partners. The community of practice comprises leading academic and clinical facilities and infrastructures, medicines regulators, health technology assessors, public agencies and funders, small and large industry, state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and in silico tools, and a global network of collaborators for optimal knowledge exchange. REMEDi4ALL will substantially increase Europe's capacity to develop high quality repurposed medicines and implement them into the market, through its complete value chain and consensus-based policy development mission.

UMBRELLA is a holistic approach to progress, reshape, and benchmark the overall stroke care pathway and set new and improved standards of care in terms of primary and secondary prevention, rapid access to treatments, early accurate diagnosis, stratification, management and real-time monitoring, therapeutic targets identification, and rehabilitation, recurrent stroke and related cardiovascular events. This innovative approach will transform healthcare systems by improving and harmonizing professionals' workflows in a more patient-centred, digitalized, and communicative manner. UMBRELLA aims to revolutionize stroke management by implementing a comprehensive approach that addresses gaps along the whole continuum of the stroke care pathway. The key paradigm in the project is the multicentric, synergistic "umbrella" strategy for local data collection, harmonization, and standardization along the entire pre-, in-, and post-hospitalization pathway. By establishing specific common data models (CMDs) implemented in each of the 7 top-tier European clinical centres, UMBRELLA will create a federated data platform (U-platform) where Real World Data (RWD)-based AI algorithms can be locally created and validated, to advance personalised diagnosis, risk prediction, and treatment decisions in the acute and post-acute phases of stroke. The algorithms will be then trained in a decentralized manner through a federated learning infrastructure (FL-platform), which preserve data security and privacy, avoiding data centralization or exchange across centres but fostering collective AI-models training. On the other hand, standardized stroke management protocols and procedures will be created and implemented across the participating centres, including the validated usage of advanced digital technologies as solutions to facilitate data collection, visualization, patient engagement, monitoring, outcomes integration, and decision-making across the whole stroke pathway.