Project description
Ending endometriosis diagnostic delay
One of the most common chronic diseases in fertile women, endometriosis affects 14 million women across the EU. The disease is caused by tissue from the uterus growing mainly in the lower abdomen. The most common symptoms are intense pain during periods and intercourse, and chronic pelvic pain. However, it takes years for the disease to be correctly diagnosed, and sufferers are at greater risk of ovarian cancer than the rest of the female population. The EU-funded TRENDO project will address the main problems in endometriosis diagnosis and therapy. Bringing together clinical and translational science experts and industry partners from six European and South American countries, the project will develop non-invasive biomarkers and testing, which will shorten diagnostic delay and reduce unequal access to expensive healthcare.
Objective
Endometriosis is a sever disease affecting 10% of reproductive age women, characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside of uterus. Due to the associated pain, inertility and a small, but increased risk for developing ovarian cancer, its socioeconomic impacts are considerable, and have a profound effect on women’s mental and physical health. Endometriosis is characterized by a diagnostic delay of a decade, as its diagnosis is surgery-based, and all attempts to identify the non-invasive biomarkers have not been progressed beyond the discovery. Moreover, current treatments include only surgery or hormonal medications with significant side effects. In view of the above, the endometriosis care is challenging, and is hampered by the considerable heterogeneity of clinical manifestations. TRENDO consortium addresses the main problems in endometriosis diagnosis and therapy in a multidisciplinary and trans-sectoral effort, bringing together the clinical and translational science experts, and industry partners from six European and South American countries. We develop non-invasive biomarkers and testing, which shorten the diagnostic delay, and reduce the unequal access to expensive healthcare. These biomarkers are tested for the suitability as drug targets, to monitor treatment response, and to predict the personalized clinical recommendations. By combining the strengths of our partners, we provide novel tools addressing the most urgent priorities in endometriosis and to successfully translate our findings into novel therapeutic approaches. This challenging scientific task provides an ideal career-enhancing setting for young scientists, providing them with transdisciplinary and trans-domain training, and with essential transferable skills. The training program provides a new generation of researchers with a strong competitive advantage on the job market and increase European academic and industry competence in one of the under-investigated clinical domains.
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Coordinator
48149 MUENSTER
Germany