SPOKE 7
Personalized Prevention
Integrated and gender-based medicine approaches for prevention strategies based on environmental, lifestyle, and clinical biometric data.
Spoke Leader and Expertise
Università Politecnica delle Marche
The Marche Polytechnic University is recognized for its well-established expertise in epidemiology, clinical immunology, gender medicine, and the prevention of chronic diseases. Within the framework of precision medicine, the University integrates clinical, biological, and public health expertise to develop prevention models based on individual characteristics, biological differences between men and women, and the interaction between genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors.
Partners
- IRCCS IFO – Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità
- IRCCS Neuromed – Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo
- Sapienza Università di Roma
- Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
- Università degli Studi di Cagliari
- Università degli Studi di Catania
- Università degli Studi di Foggia
- Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Scientific Coordinator
Prof. Gianluca Moroncini
Mission
The mission of the thematic network (Spoke 7) is to reduce the incidence of chronic and multifactorial diseases through personalized and gender-based prevention strategies. In precision medicine, prevention is not a uniform intervention, but a set of targeted actions that take into account individual biological characteristics as well as environmental and social conditions.
Objectives
- Identify individual and gender-specific risk determinants.
- Develop personalized prevention models.
- Support primary and secondary prevention programs.
- Reduce gender-related health inequalities.
Activities
The activities of Spoke 7 are primarily based on epidemiological and clinical studies conducted on population cohorts, that is, groups of individuals followed over time to observe the onset of diseases and the factors influencing their development. The Spoke analyzes clinical, biological, and environmental data to understand the role of lifestyle, environmental exposures, and gender differences in determining disease risk.
A central area of activity concerns the study of biological and immunological differences between men and women, with particular attention to autoimmune, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases. These differences are integrated into gender-specific risk models, useful for guiding targeted preventive interventions.
The Spoke also works on integrating prevention data with genetic and molecular information produced by the other Spokes, contributing to the development of personalized risk profiles.
Areas of work
Translation of precision medicine tools into new strategies for cancer prevention
- Prediction of tumor development in chronic inflammatory diseases of the digestive system: molecular profiling and preventive strategies
- Exposome assessment: a model for disease prevention
- Acceleration of the development of innovative therapies for solid tumors through advanced preclinical evidence and 3D systems
- Predictive medicine in head and neck cancers through AI-assisted omics analysis
- Prediction of oncological risk in the Italian population
New personalized strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
- Prevention of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM)
- Assessment of risk factors for chronic heart failure
- A new gender-specific risk score for predicting atherosclerosis in women
- New early predictors of infection in implantable cardiac electronic devices
Integration of traditional risk factors and new predictive models for the prevention of metabolic and endocrine diseases
- Risk factors, lifestyle, and new biomarkers in obesity and related diseases
- Diasmoke: randomized controlled trial on cardiovascular risk variation in type 2 diabetic patients switching to combustion-free nicotine delivery systems
- Targeting reproductive functions for new prevention and prediction strategies
Case Studies for Personalized Prevention Strategies
- Assessment of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD)
- Effect modifiers, epigenetics, and gene–environment interaction: cohort comparisons from a gender perspective
- Multi-omics and AI approach in rare diseases: implementation of innovative diagnostic pathways for fibrotic conditions
- Omics research in epidemiology and preventive medicine
Projects Funded through Cascade Calls
ADAPTA
Advanced multi-omics Data Analysis for Precision Therapy Algorithms
Il progetto ADAPTA si propone di realizzare un’architettura sicura, accurata, efficace, flessibile e spiegabile per l’analisi dei dati, ponendosi come un abilitatore strategico per la medicina di precisione. L’innovazione principale risiede nello sviluppo di algoritmi che integrano la topologia computazionale con modelli di machine learning spiegabili e multi-scala, garantendo una comprensione profonda e interpretabile delle dinamiche biologiche complesse. Adottando un approccio di “Security and Explainability by Design”, i requisiti di affidabilità e trasparenza vengono incorporati sin dalle fasi iniziali attraverso cicli di ingegneria del software avanzati, assicurando che la piattaforma finale sia non solo tecnicamente robusta, ma pienamente rispondente alle necessità critiche e regolatorie del settore sanitario.
FIDOKA SRL
Università degli Studi di Camerino
CLINHUB
Coordination Hub for the Management and Conduct of Clinical Studies
The project aims to enhance researchers’ efficiency by systematically reducing the administrative and bureaucratic burden associated with clinical research, primarily by optimizing data collection and management processes. By streamlining authorization procedures for both observational and interventional studies, the initiative seeks to significantly reduce the managerial workload for investigators, while also enabling a substantial decrease in costs and an acceleration of study implementation timelines, ensuring a more efficient, cost-effective, and timely research process.
Henomics
Study of the role of the metagenome in head and neck tumors using omics techniques
The project aims to comprehensively map the microbiome profile in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), exploring its potential impact across multiple levels of clinical management. By studying the interactions between microbial communities and the tumor microenvironment, the research seeks to decipher the pathogenetic mechanisms driving disease progression, while also identifying specific microbial signatures with diagnostic and prognostic value. The integration of these data will not only enable earlier diagnosis, but also allow patient stratification based on recurrence risk and treatment response, providing essential tools for precision medicine that take into account the host’s overall biological ecosystem.
