Precision mNedicine is the latest craze in rare disease research. Thankfully for patients, it is completely, 100% centered on improving the quality of their care. Unlike most typical healthcare practices, Precision Medicine takes into account the fact that pathology can differ from patient to patient. Not only do diseases present themselves differently in different people, they can change over time. Precision Medicine works to assess the specific biological characteristics, molecular characteristics, environmental factors, lifestyle factors, and genes of the individual patient. Following this assessment, an individualized treatment plan can be created which is likely to benefit the patient far more than a standard plan which doesn’t account for their unique experiences with their illness.
JPND has just announced a new global call for research projects, which will be funded with 30 million euros promised by participating organizations. This call is aimed specifically for Precision Medicine research and is focused on neurodegenerative conditions. Specifically, they are asking for proposals related to spinal muscular atrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, Parkinson’s disease, Prion diseases, Huntington’s disease, and Motor Neuron diseases.
All of these conditions have a large variability in the way the present, their origins, and their mechanisms. They currently have few treatment options and patients deal with may debilitating symptoms. Precision Medicine should improve the options, outcomes, and overall quality of life for these patients. The hope is that this call for proposals will help us achieve this personalized approach to medicine faster.
The Call for Proposals
JPND is collaborating with the European Commission on their call for innovative, ambitious, and multidisciplinary research projects aimed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions.
JPND recognizes that the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is a global issue, affecting individuals all around the world. Each accepted proposal will be funded by organizations within their own country.
“This call aims to harness the necessary expertise across Europe and globally to address this research challenge.”
Requirements
Proposals of projects must –
- Focus on Precision Medicine
- Concentrate on diagnosis, prevention, care, or all of the above
- Relate to one of the neurodegenerative diseases JPND is concentrating on (noted above)
You can also read a full overview of the call and requirements for proposals here.
Pre-proposals are due by March 12, 2019.
Full proposals are due by June 25, 2019.
A lot has been done in the realm of neurodegenerative disease research in the last few years. Now, we understand much better the diversity and complexity of these types of conditions. JPND Is working to ensure that we utilize this newfound knowledge through Precision Medicine to improve the lives of individual patients by uncovering what is the best kind of treatment for each person.
You can read more about JPND’s efforts to research neurodegenerative diseases and this call for proposals here.
