The EU stands for science that puts people first. Across Europe, researchers are making breakthroughs in cancer research, advancing precision medicine, and improving mental health care. Scientists in action, driving a healthier future for all.
Across Europe, science is finding answers to major health challenges. An international team working at the University of Gdańsk in Poland is developing targeted cancer therapies that use the body’s own defences.
T cells – immune cells present in our bodies – can detect cancerous cells. The researchers isolate them, multiply them and reintroduce them into the patient.
Researchers in the field of molecular biology in Denmark are pushing the boundaries of what we know about neurological diseases. Many, including Parkinson’s, are caused by disordered proteins that lack a fixed structure – molecules that constantly shift and flow. Their unpredictable behaviour has long made them difficult to target with drugs.
EU-supported researchers have found a new way these proteins interact, deepening understanding of nerve cell dynamics and opening possibilities for treating disorders previously considered hard to treat with medicine.
Other project examples
When planning complex operations, having an accurate 3D model of a patient’s anatomy can make all the difference. With EU support, research work pioneered a way to turn medical scans into detailed, colour-coded models using laser photopolymerisation. These physical models help surgeons better understand each patient’s condition and prepare for delicate procedures – improving accuracy, confidence and outcomes in operating rooms across Europe.
As more people seek support to start a family, science plays a key role in improving fertility and prenatal care. EU-supported research connects scientists and companies in Greece, Estonia and the Netherlands to drive progress in reproductive health – from in vitro fertilisation, where eggs are fertilised outside the body, to non-invasive prenatal testing. It also trains young scientists, boosting innovation and access to better care across Europe.
Parkinson’s disease – a severe neurodegenerative disorder with no current cure – is estimated to affect more than 1 million people in the EU and rising. An initiative is investigating a new vaccine platform that produces far stronger immune responses than existing vaccines and better diagnostics for earlier detection. The ultimate aim is to pave the way to a new generation of treatments for Parkinson’s and other non-communicable diseases and improve lives for millions.
Food fermentation has been used for thousands of years, but knowledge of its health benefits for the microbiomes in our gut remains limited. An EU-supported effort is creating new plant-based foods to investigate the effects on health and the environment of using different types of bacteria, harnessing the help of volunteer bakers in different countries.
Researchers have been unlocking the secrets of the human eye, helping create cutting-edge digital models to raise the quality of eye surgery. Important advances have included applying mathematical precision to the eye’s biological and physiological workings in EU-supported research. In the 2010s, this initiative developed the world’s first mathematical model of eye lens growth throughout a person’s lifetime, proving valuable for guiding cataract surgery.
Neuroblastoma is the third-most prevalent type of cancer in children, but its prognosis and the mechanisms behind treatment resistance are poorly understood. An EU-supported team sought to better understand these through cellular research work. The plan was to improve the ability to screen the efficacy of different drugs and boost outcomes.
Huge disparities exist between cancer survival rates of children in higher- and lower-income countries in Europe, but researchers are working to address this. An EU-supported effort in Lithuania, was aimed at changing the situation through collaboration between partners in multiple countries.
Chronic pain is estimated to affect 150 million people across Europe, or around one in five adults. To address this, an EU-supported endeavour looked into the issue of people’s natural tendency to focus on negative or pain-related information. With a view to uncovering clues on the relationship between the mind and chronic pain, the mission was to identify new treatment strategies.
More than 50 million people worldwide are affected by dementia – and the number is rising rapidly. But despite its widespread prevalence and impact, it remains difficult to diagnose in its early stages. Research work was targeted at changing this by combining AI, big data analysis and cutting-edge assay technologies to find biomarkers for dementia. The research team made considerable progress on this front, while creating a comprehensive roadmap to guide future biomarker development.
Meditation is widely recognised for mental and physical benefits from reducing stress to improving cardiovascular health, but the underlying biochemical mechanisms have been unclear. An EU-supported effort explored this in a bid to create new tools for monitoring and treating health conditions. The researchers did this partly by analysing cellular communication in cancer survivors who practised meditation.
Lower back pain is a very common affliction worldwide, but the interaction of genetic, environmental, cellular and psychological factors that cause it is often poorly understood. A multidisciplinary EU-supported consortium came together to search for biomarkers of back pain with the aid of AI-enhanced computer modelling. The endeavour was also geared towards training a new generation of early-stage researchers in this area.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which involves the narrowing or blockage of vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs, affects more than 230 million people worldwide. However, it is less well-known than other vascular conditions, such as heart disease, and is often poorly diagnosed. EU-supported researchers investigated the use of a technique that incorporates thermal imaging and artificial intelligence to help diagnose PAD.
Cancer immunotherapy can result in severe toxicities, highlighting the importance of uncovering biomarkers that can predict immunotherapy outcomes. In EU-supported research work, a team sought to identify such biomarkers using clinically applied ultrasound-based methods and computational biomechanical modelling in tumour-bearing mice and cancer patients.
Mercury pollution from a range of products used in everyday life poses a threat to both environmental and human health, including entering the food chain through its accumulation in fish such as tuna and halibut. Researchers modelled mercury’s chemical behaviour and movement through land, air and marine environments, with a view to aiding public health initiatives and helping people make more informed dietary choices.
Endometriosis, a condition that can cause severe pain and fertility issues, affects close to 200 million women and girls of reproductive age globally. However, diagnosis is complex and can take years, with symptoms varying widely.
EU-supported researchers used AI to analyse vast amounts of patient information in order to uncover patterns that may be missed by traditional diagnostics. They developed a clinical support system for healthcare professionals and a digital app to aid patients with the condition.
The availability of smartphone apps, wearable devices and artificial intelligence software for tracking health has rapidly increased in recent years, but they can be difficult to access and operate for users such as elderly people. Scientists looked into ethical issues related to such users and came up with a roadmap on how to address their needs in the design of health technology.