Carotid artery disease, the primary trigger of ischaemic cerebrovascular events including stroke, causes major morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs worldwide. Still, treatment is based on criteria established in the 90s that do not take into account the molecular evolution we have witnessed since, nor the introduction of new medication, leading to remarkably high unnecessary surgical treatment while missing most patients at risk. TAXINOMISIS will provide novel disease mechanism-based stratification for carotid artery disease patients to address the needs for stratified and personalised therapeutic interventions in the current era. This will be achieved through (1) the dissection of mechanisms mediating carotid artery disease, and identification of susceptibility and protection factors of plaque erosion and/or rupture using longitudinal cohorts and multi-omics, (2) the definition of distinct disease phenotypes and endotypes, and generation of molecular fingerprints of high versus low-risk states through systems medicine, (3) the development of a multilevel risk prediction model of the symptomatic plaque incorporating new biomarkers and advanced imaging, implemented in a software, to assist patient stratification and clinical decision making, (4) the development of novel pharmacogenomics solutions based on lab-on-a-chip technology to support personalized treatment, (5) the evaluation of the new risk prediction model and lab-on-a-chip device in a prospective observational clinical study, and (6) the assessment of regulatory, cost-effectiveness and ethical issues towards the implementation and commercialization of the programme’s outcomes. TAXINOMISIS has therefore the potential to rationally change the current state-of-the-art in the stratification of patients with carotid artery disease by reducing unnecessary operations, refining medical treatment and opening up new avenues for therapeutic intervention, while strengthening the European biotechnology sector.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic creates an unprecedented burden worldwide. Vaccine-induced immunity is the only promising solution. There is continued need for phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials to reach long-term, large-scale immunity of the entire European population. VACCELERATE will be the pan-European backbone accelerating phase 2 & 3 COVID-19 vaccine trials. The overall objective of VACCELERATE is to connect all European stakeholders involved in vaccine development to provide a pan-European platform for clinical trial design and conduct. VACCELERATE constitutes the rapid response single entry-point to stakeholders from public health authorities to vaccine developers, to address respective needs and kick-start specifically phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials. VACCELERATE conducts capacity mapping of clinical trial and laboratory sites to identify suitable sites for individual phase 2 & 3 vaccine trials. Capacity building via training will increase quality in sites across Europe. Volunteer registries facilitate patient recruitment. Access to laboratory sites and a standardised set of assays essential for clinical phase 2 & 3 trials is provided. A harmonised European approach to vaccine trials is enabled by aligning educational standards, coordination of laboratory support and providing standardised assays and trial protocols. Harmonised data collection, open data sharing and pooling of data for stronger analysis enables data standardisation. VACCELERATE offers solutions for characteristic vaccine development issues during pandemics by closing gaps in public health knowledge and improving knowledge transfer. VACCELERATE amalgamates the vast but scattered expertise across Europe into one network to deliver strategic scientific leadership and guidance on vaccine trials in Europe. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be an established pandemic preparedness network, ready to face emerging future pandemics, as well as a pivot in Europe?s capacity to develop vaccines.

Air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), and traffic noise are major intertwined environmental risks. They contribute to the incidence of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, mental, and metabolic, so-called non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Air pollution contributes to annual premature deaths (0.5 million) and traffic noise to loss of 1.6 million healthy life years in Europe. Critical issues are that noise and PM are underrepresented in clinical guidelines and that European legal exposure limits exceed WHO standards, also due to a limited understanding of knowledge transfer and success metrics. Significant knowledge gaps are related to additive effects of PM and noise, the role of ultrafine particle (UFP), adverse brain-heart axis signaling, and the consequences for vulnerable groups such as high-risk patients and the elderly. We address these critical health issues of traffic noise and air pollution (PM incl. UFP) by a unique translational approach using experimental and computational models in clinical, interventional, and epidemiological studies. A primary goal is to identify disease-relevant biomarkers and understand the molecular pathways of cerebral, pulmonary and cardiovascular NCDs, also by effective translation of animal findings to human health. Our “bench to life” approach on brain-heart axis is entirely driven by profound preclinical mechanistic knowledge and will use novel Multiomics methodology (e.g. redox/phospho-proteomics, “spatial” epigenetics) allowing analysis of key pathomechanisms, to be included in exposure-response models. This will improve risk assessment and allow evaluation of the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. We will also consider the societal circumstances and policies at the national level and their impact on different stakeholders. MARKOPOLO will advance our understanding of the complex interplay between noise, air pollution, and human well-being and provide clearer information and guidelines for various stakeholders.