EUROGENE Project

High secure cross-border platform for preventative healthcare incorporating genetic analysis

Main Goal: Development of an integrated high secure cross-border platform for the delivery of optimal personalized lifestyle recommendations based on genetic analysis.

Program: e-TEN

Code: 046310-eTen

Description:

Despite the growth in technologies for preventative healthcare, the discovery of promising biomarkers, gene variants etc, there is a problem in translating these advances into benefits for the patient. Early detection of associations between biomarkers, genes, nutrition and medication is offered by the existing system and result in earlier, more effective and simpler interventions that are usually based on nutritional and exercise modifications rather than medication. Increased emphasis is placed on preventative healthcare and delaying the onset of chronic complex diseases such as type II Diabetes and CVD. These diseases are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, the former immutable but the latter amenable to modification with the aim of prevention. The service will screen pre-symptomatic, higher risk patients (e.g. hypertensive), and will identify through genetics and environmental analysis the preventative interventions to reduce risk factor levels, patients will be given diet/lifestyle advice and will be prescribed suitable medication where appropriate. The overall aim of EuroGENE is to validate in the European market the existing service as well as to enhance both its security and user friendliness.

The service will screen presymptomatic, higher risk patients (e.g. hypertensive), and will identify through genetics and environmental analysis the preventative interventions to reduce risk factor levels. Patients will be given diet/lifestyle advice and will be prescribed suitable medication where appropriate. Sciona, the company running the service, provides personalized health and nutrition recommendations based on an individual’s diet, lifestyle and unique genetic profile. The company has created a set of tools enabling consumers and consumer product companies to harness the scientific information derived from the Human Genome Project. Eurogene focuses on translating genetic research into concise, practical information that can be utilized by their corporate customers and consumers. By combining their expertise in understanding individual genetic variation and environmental factors with a proprietary Genostic Rules Engine™ they have created, they provide scientifically-based recommendations on changes in diet and lifestyle. To learn more about how an individual can use the service click here. (By using the ordering subsystem one can order the kit and receive it in his place or from a traditional sale site (e.g. pharmacy). Information about how to use the kit and what is contained in it will be available both online (needs further information) as well as within the package. Within the package the user will find the credentials that give him/her on line access to the “Customers’ Secure Area”. Using these credentials, each customer is authenticated in the Customers’ Secure Area. The existing printed life-style questionnaire that customers have to send along with the swab, will be filled-in as an online questionnaire to inform the system about customer’s current health status and lifestyle. This secure environment will also offer to the individual the required workspace to follow-up his/her health status. In this personalized workspace the individual will receive his/her results along with his dietary and lifestyle advice. After following the advice for a specific period of time he will have the ability to refill questionnaires concerning the change of his health, diet and lifestyle status and get new advice depending on the results obtained. This procedure will allow the system to be fed with valuable information concerning the progression and course of the individual’s health, and update its rule’s engine which is something very critical and is currently missing from the service).

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