Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives

IntroductionNon-communicable diseases represent a significant burden on global healthcare, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance prevention and management. Personalized prevention, an emerging approach leveraging omics data to tailor interventions, holds promise for improving risk stratific...

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Main Authors: Alessandra Maio, Sara Farina, Tommaso Osti, Salvatore Di Grande, Roberta Pastorino, Stefania Boccia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561328/full
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author Alessandra Maio
Sara Farina
Tommaso Osti
Salvatore Di Grande
Roberta Pastorino
Roberta Pastorino
Stefania Boccia
Stefania Boccia
author_facet Alessandra Maio
Sara Farina
Tommaso Osti
Salvatore Di Grande
Roberta Pastorino
Roberta Pastorino
Stefania Boccia
Stefania Boccia
author_sort Alessandra Maio
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionNon-communicable diseases represent a significant burden on global healthcare, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance prevention and management. Personalized prevention, an emerging approach leveraging omics data to tailor interventions, holds promise for improving risk stratification, early diagnosis, and preventive strategies. To gain insights on the latest funding investments in this field, we mapped European Commission (EC)-funded research projects on personalized prevention for non-communicable diseases.Materials and methodsWe carried out a scoping review of gray literature sources, following the Arksey and O’Malley framework, combined with expert consultations to validate findings and address data gaps. Inclusion criteria focused on projects that began or were ongoing in 2024 (from January 1st to December 31st).ResultsWe identified 67 projects supported by a total amount of €511.9 million from EC funding. The main programs include Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, and EU4Health. In particular, Horizon Europe funds 51% of these projects, with a total allocation of €253.8 million, 44% of which specifically address cancer. Overall, 48% of the projects target cancer, followed by neurological and psychiatric diseases (15%), cardiovascular diseases (13%), metabolic disorders (9%), and other NCDs (16%). In terms of prevention levels, 21% of the projects are dedicated to primary prevention, 41% to secondary prevention, and 38% to tertiary prevention.ConclusionThe EC’s investment in personalized prevention is predominantly directed toward cancer, reflecting the goals of the Cancer Mission and the European Beating Cancer Plan. Research on tertiary prevention remains less prominent, likely due to its already established clinical applications, while the emphasis on primary and secondary prevention is reassuring, considering the current gaps in clinical utility evidence in these areas.
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spelling doaj-art-0209e205dbdc4152b81d6583dff6e3932025-08-20T03:03:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-08-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15613281561328Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiativesAlessandra Maio0Sara Farina1Tommaso Osti2Salvatore Di Grande3Roberta Pastorino4Roberta Pastorino5Stefania Boccia6Stefania Boccia7University Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyUniversity Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyUniversity Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyUniversity Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyUniversity Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, ItalyUniversity Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, ItalyIntroductionNon-communicable diseases represent a significant burden on global healthcare, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance prevention and management. Personalized prevention, an emerging approach leveraging omics data to tailor interventions, holds promise for improving risk stratification, early diagnosis, and preventive strategies. To gain insights on the latest funding investments in this field, we mapped European Commission (EC)-funded research projects on personalized prevention for non-communicable diseases.Materials and methodsWe carried out a scoping review of gray literature sources, following the Arksey and O’Malley framework, combined with expert consultations to validate findings and address data gaps. Inclusion criteria focused on projects that began or were ongoing in 2024 (from January 1st to December 31st).ResultsWe identified 67 projects supported by a total amount of €511.9 million from EC funding. The main programs include Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, and EU4Health. In particular, Horizon Europe funds 51% of these projects, with a total allocation of €253.8 million, 44% of which specifically address cancer. Overall, 48% of the projects target cancer, followed by neurological and psychiatric diseases (15%), cardiovascular diseases (13%), metabolic disorders (9%), and other NCDs (16%). In terms of prevention levels, 21% of the projects are dedicated to primary prevention, 41% to secondary prevention, and 38% to tertiary prevention.ConclusionThe EC’s investment in personalized prevention is predominantly directed toward cancer, reflecting the goals of the Cancer Mission and the European Beating Cancer Plan. Research on tertiary prevention remains less prominent, likely due to its already established clinical applications, while the emphasis on primary and secondary prevention is reassuring, considering the current gaps in clinical utility evidence in these areas.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561328/fullpersonalized preventionresearchnon-communicable diseasesEuropean Commissionprojects
spellingShingle Alessandra Maio
Sara Farina
Tommaso Osti
Salvatore Di Grande
Roberta Pastorino
Roberta Pastorino
Stefania Boccia
Stefania Boccia
Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives
Frontiers in Public Health
personalized prevention
research
non-communicable diseases
European Commission
projects
title Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives
title_full Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives
title_fullStr Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives
title_full_unstemmed Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives
title_short Scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research: an overview of ongoing European funded initiatives
title_sort scanning the horizon of personalized prevention research an overview of ongoing european funded initiatives
topic personalized prevention
research
non-communicable diseases
European Commission
projects
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1561328/full
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