European researchers have been building the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH), a full computer model of the body. Through this process, an EU-funded project focused on improving cardiovascular care, and several key results are now being implemented by industry. The ultimate aim of all this is to turn basic science into real medical practices that will benefit patients and improve care standards.
A groundbreaking EU-funded project has created a new method for developing multidrug cancer treatments. Many of the cancers this method targets have proven very difficult to treat with conventional medicines. As a result, this innovation has the potential to save thousands of lives every year.
The scientific community is expected to be prepared for and react promptly to emerging diseases by funding research and development. But to do so, it needs the unyielding and coordinated support from funding organisations. GloPID-R, an EU-funded global network, leads the way in helping ensure that the fight against all pandemics, present and future, is effective, rapid and leaves no one behind.
Developing a vaccine is a time-consuming and complex process. But as the current global pandemic has made abundantly clear, time is of the essence. That is why a group of EU-funded researchers launched a platform that provides services, support, networking, and training to help accelerate the development of important vaccines, including one for COVID-19.
Plug-and-play smart cities? An open source platform jointly developed by Japanese and EU-funded researchers is facilitating the deployment of smart city technologies in urban centres worldwide to tackle urban challenges ranging from air quality and energy use to traffic congestion and infrastructure upkeep.
EU-funded researchers are using innovative genomic and microfluidic technologies to identify useful enzymes in nature which could reduce the need for toxic chemicals, save energy, and boost the overall sustainability of a range of industries, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals.
Air pollution is a major risk factor for health in Europe. EU-funded research is helping to find innovative, inexpensive and green solutions for improving air quality, particularly in urban environments.
What is the best way to tackle sarcomas? Although clinical trials help to generate insight, they are hard to set up for rare diseases. An EU-funded project has organised several trials focusing on these malignancies, providing insight that is already helping to save more lives. It has also paved the way for further research to help patients.
Emerging viruses pose a serious threat to global public health. EU-funded research is helping to advance our understanding of how infectious diseases evolve and adapt genetically, informing our efforts to develop an effective response. Researchers have already applied these new methods to several public health crises, including COVID-19.
Generating safe antigens to induce immunity is one of several key steps in vaccine production. Purification is another, and it is typically a complex process. EU-funded researchers have designed a way to simplify the process, boost yields, limit waste and reduce costs, in a bid to help make more doses available more affordably.
