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Development, dIagnostic and prevention of gender-related Somatic and mental COmorbitiEs in iRritable bowel syndrome In Europe

Project description

Better diagnose, prevention and treatment

More than 60 million Europeans suffer from anxiety and depression or fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. These conditions (comorbidities) are common in Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a chronic health condition experienced mainly by women. IBS creates a burden on the patients' life. But the origin and mechanisms of IBS comorbidities remain unexplained, treatment is costly and not satisfactory. The EU-funded DISCOvERIE project will make an effort to explain the causative mechanisms of IBS comorbidities, identify them as a distinct clinical entity to enable a significant improvement in its treatment methods. The specific comorbid-IBS psychopathological knowledge will allow delivery of prognostic biomarkers and creation of guides and protocols for new special hospital units providing personalised care.

Objective

Mental (anxiety and depression) and non-mental (fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome) comorbidities are highly prevalent in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with over 60 million Europeans affected, mostly women, by devastating manifestations, impaired treatment and quality of life. Estimated costs are €43 billion/year for IBS, mostly derived from comorbid IBS. Our hypothesis is that comorbid IBS represents a distinct clinical entity, arising from distorted brain-gut communication with a unique, specific, but undefined pathophysiological origin, differing from IBS alone. DISCOvERIE was created to advance the understanding of its causative mechanisms. Identification, validation and comprehension of these mechanisms will help stratify these patients into distinct clinical phenotypes, improving disease management, increasing quality of life and reducing socioeconomic costs. In particular, we will deliver specific comorbid-IBS physiopathological knowledge as clinical guides and protocols for newly created, hospital-based, transversal and multidisciplinary units for implementing personalized management and wellbeing of European citizens and to position Europe as a global leader in comorbid IBS personalised medicine. We will also deliver prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers and patents, technological innovation via e-health tools for personalized assessment of clinical/nutritional/physical activity and disseminate new knowledge widely. Impact will be assessed by recording media presence, scientific publications and by monitoring health-related quality of life of patients and promoting cost-effective care. To this end we have created a user board involving patient associations, clinical specialists, European healthcare experts, large pharma and SMEs representatives. We will also promote the creation of a European Reference Network for comorbid IBS involving healthcare providers across Europe.

Call for proposal

H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020

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Sub call

H2020-SC1-2019-Two-Stage-RTD

Coordinator

FUNDACIO HOSPITAL UNIVERSITARI VALL D'HEBRON - INSTITUT DE RECERCA
Net EU contribution
€ 1 148 684,84
Address
PASSEIG VALL D HEBRON 119-129 EDIFICIO DE RECERCA
08035 Barcelona
Spain

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Region
Este Cataluña Barcelona
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 1 148 684,84

Participants (20)