Meeting of StoP project consortium members in Italy

 

In September, the eleventh StoP (Stomach Cancer Pooling) project consortium meeting was held at the University of Bologna, Italy, in which oncologist-chemotherapist Evita Gashenko from the working group of Latvian researchers - Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia - participated.

The initiative to create the consortium belongs to the association of Italian research groups, which is the most widely represented in this circle of participants. As part of the project, epidemiological and clinical data on gastric cancer are collected and analyzed. The StoP project was started in 2012. Currently, the number of research groups has reached 34 and includes data on 13,121 gastric cancer patients and 31,420 control group participants.

The consortium briefly presented an overview of what has been done so far - the total number of publications, the results of the collected data analysis and suggestions for new research directions. An overview was also given of the latest working group that joined the project from the University of Bologna.

At the event, the preliminary results of the sub-projects carried out this year were presented on: the effect of the Mediterranean diet, the role of fish and seafood, body mass index (2-10 years before the diagnosis of the disease), fiber intake, folate, vitamin A, retinol, calcium, magnesium, group B vitamins , association of total antioxidant and copper intake with gastric cancer. In addition, a preliminary analysis of the association of statin and aspirin use with tumor development was presented at the conference.

The data of Latvian patients are currently included in the analysis of risk factors for the development of early gastric cancer. The participants of the event were presented with the preliminary results and the preparation of the publication will be started soon.

From the new projects, Latvian data (LU KPMI Biobank) is planned to be included in the research section on the interaction of aspects of the genome and diet (lead researcher Stefania Boccia, Un. Catollica Rome).

The conference discussed several approaches to the creation of risk models (taking into account that stomach cancer is a multifactorial disease, which is influenced by genetic factors of the host organism, environmental factors and infectious agents), including the use of machine learning decision analytical models. They are currently being supplemented with theoretical justification and financial sources are being sought.

The leaders of the panel discussion outlined the directions of future perspectives – the joint analysis of several risk factors, linking the findings of genetic examinations, and called for the submission of new sub-project initiatives.

 

A study by LU KPMI scientists was published in the online magazine "Molecules"

A study by LU KPMI scientists on the identification of volatile markers in colorectal cancer tissues, which was made within the HYCOR project, was published in the leading, international, peer-reviewed chemistry journal "Molecules".

The authors of the article are LU KPMI researchers - Linda Mežmale, Mārcis Leja, Anna Marija Leščinska, Andrejs Pčolkins, Elīna Kononova, Inga Bogdanova, Inese Poļaka, Ilmārs Stonāns, Arnis Kiršners, in cooperation with Austrian researchers Pawel Mochalski and Clemens Ager from the University of Innsbruck.
The human body emits many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through various body fluids, tissues, including exhalation. VOCs create a specific chemical profile that can potentially be used to detect a variety of diseases, including changes in human metabolism caused by colorectal cancer.
"The main objective of this study was to identify and investigate the VOCs formed in colorectal cancer tissue. For this purpose, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technology was used," says Linda Mežmale, a researcher at LU KPMI and one of the authors of the study.
The study resulted in the identification of 163 compounds. Four VOCs (1-propanol, pyridine, isoprene, methyl thylacetate) were identified at increased concentrations in colorectal cancer tissues, while 11 VOCs were found at decreased concentrations in these tissues (2-butanone; 2-pentanone; 2-methyl-2-propanol; ethyl acetate; 3 -methyl-1-butanol; d-limonene; tetradecane; dodecanal; tridecane; 2-ethyl-1-hexanol; cyclohexanone).
The study results can be found in more detail at: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/28/16/5990 or https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37630241/
"The results of the study provided evidence that the VOC profile is altered in colorectal cancer, which can potentially be used as a biomarker for the detection of colorectal cancer. Reliable identification of VOCs associated with colorectal cancer is essential to guide and adapt the development of advanced sensor technologies that can efficiently and sensitively detect these markers," emphasized L. Mežmale.

The project "Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening" (abbreviated as HYCOR) is funded by the European Union. Its goals are to develop a mathematical model for the detection of colon and rectal cancer and to evaluate the sensor performance of a specially designed device for the detection of this disease. The scientific results of the project will provide new knowledge about the application of the hybrid breath analyzer in the detection of colorectal cancer. The obtained results will be important both for clinical practice in Latvia and globally. The studies of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (LU KMPI) have shown promising results. This means that in the future, such an analyzer could be used in the diagnosis of various tumors of the digestive tract.

 

GISTAR research center is opened in Alūksne and trainings are held for future research workers

On September 14, the GISTAR research center was opened in Alūksne, where training was held for the future employees of the center. GISTAR is a multicenter randomized trial to reduce gastric cancer mortality by H.pylori eradication and pepsinogen measurement.

During the training, the new employees were introduced to the research website, data use and security rules, GISTAR data management system, research protocol, procedure for inclusion of research participants and learning all standard procedures in practice.
On September 14, in the Microsoft Teams environment, a lecture was given by the scientific leader of the GISTAR project, director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (LU KPMI), gastroenterologist and professor of the University of Latvia Mārcis Leja, as well as other LU KPMI employees.
The project "Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication", or EUROHELICAN for short, is a project supported by the EU program EU - Health (EU4Health). As part of this, a population-based strategy for testing and eradicating the bacterium Helicobacter pylori will be evaluated. As a result of the project, global and European experts will develop guidelines for the implementation of gastric cancer screening and recommendations for evaluating its effectiveness. In Latvia, it is managed by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (LU KPMI) in cooperation with the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia (The National Institute of Public Health - NIJZ), the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization Organizations - IARC/WHO France), Nantes University Hospital (Nantes University Hospital, France) and Maribor Dr. Community Healthcare Center dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor, Slovenia. The project will continue until the end of April 2025.

More about the EUROHELICAN project - https://www.kpmi.lu.lv/lv-lv/petijumi-un-projekti/eurohelican

The views and opinions expressed here reflect the views of the author(s) only and do not reflect the position of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The European Union and the funding authority are not responsible for them.

If representatives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organization ((International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) / World Health Organization (WHO)) are indicated as the author of the publication, they are individually responsible for the opinions expressed, and they do not always reflect those of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) / World Health Organization (WHO)). research agency decisions, policies or positions.

The project has received funding from the EU4Health program of the European Union in accordance with grant agreement no. 101079944
 

 

 

At the conference, scientists from the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia present the accumulated know-how on the prevention of stomach cancer

 

On September 7, Antwerp, Belgium hosted the project "Towards gastric cancer screening in the European Union" - the project "Towards gastric cancer screening" led by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (KPMI) of the University of Latvia (LU) implementation in the European Union", abbreviated - TOGAS) the first conference on gastric cancer screening for health policy makers, researchers and medical specialists of the European Union (EU) member states. The conference was attended by about one hundred participants, including representatives of twenty project partners from 14 countries.

The goal of the TOGAS project is to develop recommendations for the introduction of gastric cancer screening in EU countries. To achieve this, it is planned to conduct three large-scale pilot studies, with the help of which various aspects of gastric cancer screening and early diagnosis will be developed within 36 months. At the same time, cost-effective guidelines for the implementation of successful screening will be developed in line with medical ethics norms. This is necessary because there is currently a lack of effective gastric cancer screening methods in Europe. Current research shows that the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that lives in the stomach and promotes the development of stomach cancer, could reduce the number of deaths caused by stomach cancer by as much as 40%, so it is essential to find ways to implement this prevention in practice.

Three representatives of Latvia also spoke at the TOGAS conference. The scientific leader of the project, director of LU KPMI prof. Mārcis Leja gave an overview of the general goals and tasks of the TOGAS project, the work planned in the project, as well as the expected cooperation with European institutions within the project. M. Leja demonstrated the place of the TOGAS project in the overall spectrum of EU activities in the fight against cancer.
Researcher, doctor-gastroenterologist Dr. med. Danute Ražuka-Ebela introduced the audience to the pilot study that will be conducted in Latvia within the framework of the TOGAS project. Using the experience and training that KPMI has accumulated over more than 10 years (including GISTAR, a multicenter randomized study to reduce stomach cancer mortality), it is expected to gain internationally important knowledge about the long-term adverse effects that could be caused by the use of antibiotics.
The leading researcher, data analyst and biostatistician of LU KPMI Dr.sc.ing. Inese Polaka presented the concept of the cooperation initiative CARECOL with the aim of achieving socially relevant knowledge by exchanging data between research centers. The CARECOL project is a gastric cancer screening and prevention data sharing initiative launched by LU KPMI. Its aim is to combine the data and knowledge obtained from various international and national level studies in order to find the best solutions for gastric cancer prevention, early detection and mortality reduction.
During the conference, representatives of the member states of the project, national screening experts, epidemiologists, medical specialists and patient advocates discussed the work started in the TOGAS project, current EU approaches to cancer screening, and also got acquainted with the experience of stomach cancer prevention in the world. In addition to the data obtained in Europe, the experience of research and attempts to introduce gastric cancer prevention in Latin America, Bhutan, Taiwan, China, as well as Kazakhstan was heard.

 

The TOGAS project will last 36 months and the results achieved during it will help the leaders of the EU member states to decide on the implementation of gastric cancer screening in their priorities, balancing its effectiveness, future feasibility and application of processes, also taking into account the side effects related to the implementation of screening.

In the future, two such conferences will be organized within the framework of the TOGAS project - in 2024 and 2025.

 

 

It is important to be international

 
In the July/August issue of Medicus Bonus magazine, an interview was published with a gastroenterologist, director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at LU, LZA academician Professor Mārci Leja, who says that the biggest challenge delegated by the Ministry of Health is to develop a large-scale European project on all cancer screenings, and that planned for four years.

"Latvia has been selected as the leader of this European-level project. The project must be prepared, discussed with all project participants, submitted and received a positive evaluation," says Professor Mārcis Leja.
He says that the most successful projects that have received funding are, for example, research into the possibilities of breath analysis in cancer diagnostics. A method that is still far from practical, but has taken serious steps forward in the last ten years.
"Research is ongoing in the field of lung cancer, in collaboration with the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Riga and the Clinical University Hospital of Riga East. A study on the quality of life of cancer patients has just ended. Two international projects are underway, one of which is managed by us at the European level with the involvement of more than 20 partners, and we are partners in the other, where Slovenia is the leading country. "Both projects are related to the research of gastric cancer prevention possibilities, the possible implementation of screening and the introduction of recommendations in the European Union," emphasizes the professor.

 

 

Europe's largest bioethics conference successfully brought together experts from around the globe

The international conference "Methods in Bioethics and Philosophy of Medicine," was organized by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the University of Latvia and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Latvia, in collaboration with the European Society for the Philosophy of Medicine and Healthcare.

The conference, held annually, was a significant event dedicated to addressing bioethical concerns. The opening ceremony occurred on August 23 at the University of Latvia's House of Sciences. It featured speeches by University of Latvia Rector Indriķis Muižnieks, European Society for the Philosophy of Medicine and Healthcare President Peter Kakuk, and leading researcher Brian Earp from the Uehiro Center for Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford. Brian Earp presented a lecture titled "Experimental Philosophical Bioethics and Normative Inferences," which drew from a publication accessible here: https://https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11017-021-09546-z.

The conference spanned from August 23 to August 26, during which participants engaged in discussions encompassing various methodological approaches within bioethics and the philosophy of medicine, reflecting on the developments of the past five decades and exploring emerging methodologies.

Ivars Neiders, one of the conference organizers and a leading researcher at LU KPMI, expressed his satisfaction: "We are delighted to have assembled distinguished guest lecturers and numerous scientists from various countries who actively contribute to the field in Latvia. It was particularly gratifying to witness the significant turnout of young scientists and doctoral students. The overall academic quality of the conference has noticeably increased, as attested by both my subjective observations and the feedback from international colleagues. I continue to receive positive remarks from conference attendees regarding the conference's excellent organization and the welcoming atmosphere of the 'House of Science' at the university. This being our inaugural large-scale event, we take special pride in its smooth execution and high standards. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Kristiāna Kampare, Līga Grantiņa, and all the volunteers who facilitated the conference's success."

The previous conference in 2022, themed "Diversity and Bioethics," was held in Warsaw, while the next installment is scheduled for 2024 in Frankfurt. In line with Frankfurt's status as the "home" of the euro, the conference will delve into the intersection of medicine and finance.

For access to all conference materials and photos, please visit: https://failiem.lv/LatvijasUniversitate/u/c9awgxbjg.

 

Discussion of experts and policy makers on gastric cancer prevention will take place in Antwerp

On September 7, 2023, in Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp, Belgium, Conference “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union” will be held. Representatives from the Member States, national screening experts and patient advocates are invited to participate in the conference to discuss EU´s perspective on gastric cancer screening implementation.

The 2022 European “Council Recommendation on strengthening prevention through early detection: a new EU approach on cancer screening” is recommending implementation of three new cancer screening programs, including for gastric cancer, in the European Union (EU).

The TOGAS project* (“Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union”) brings together 20 partners from 14 European countries to address effective implementation of gastric cancer screening across the EU.

The purpose of this conference is to inform participants on the current evidence related to gastric cancer prevention as well as to gather feedback from EU Member States on the needs and potential barriers for streamlining gastric cancer screening. We encourage policymakers, screening experts, epidemiologists, medical specialists, as well as patient representatives, to participate in person and share their insights, experiences, and expertise. We look forward to fruitful discussions and collaborations that will undoubtedly arise from this gathering. Together, let us work towards improving gastric cancer prevention and screening practices across Europe, with the ultimate aim of reducing the burden of this devastating disease.

We invite representatives from the Member States, national screening experts and patient advocates to participate in the Conference “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union” to be held on September 7, 2023 in the Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp, Belgium. The conference will also feature live video streaming.

Find the programme here.

 Date and place:

September 7, 2023

Flanders Meeting & Convention Center, Antwerp, Belgium and on‐line

 Registration:

The registration for in-person participation is already closed, but you can still register for the conference online. Please register here to receive an access link to the online conference.

 Participants:

‐ EU country representatives (ministries, national cancer institutes)

‐ European Council & JRC representatives

‐ Cancer screening specialists

‐ Project consortia members (TOGAS, EUROHELICAN, AIDA, PRAISE‐U, SOLACE)

‐ Researchers and opinion leaders involved in gastric cancer prevention

‐ Patient advocates

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A seminar dedicated to the LUCIA project will be held in September

On September 5, 2023, a seminar dedicated to the "Understanding Lung Cancer-related risk factors and their Impact" project, known as LUCIA, will take place in San Sebastian, Spain. This seminar will provide insights into the investments planned by the LUCIA project for lung cancer prevention and early screening in the forthcoming years. During the seminar, participants will engage in discussions covering various topics, including clinical and technological knowledge regarding risk factors, lung cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment. Those involved in the project aim to apply the knowledge gained to support the European Union's cancer combat plan. The seminar seeks to foster dialogue among researchers and policymakers, enhancing our understanding of lung cancer and ensuring more effective prevention and screening programs.

Lung cancer stands as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with someone succumbing to it worldwide every 30 seconds. The current 5-year survival rate for lung cancer patients averages only 17% for men and 24% for women. Despite smoking being a significant contributor to lung cancer, it also affects non-smokers. Consequently, project collaborators will focus on identifying all potential risk factors and innovating new diagnostic, preventive, and treatment methods.

The overarching objective of the LUCIA project is to enhance early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of lung cancer, with a particular emphasis on rarer types of the disease. The project's research endeavors will lead to recommendations for an early diagnosis program and effective lung cancer prevention strategies.

The LUCIA project is overseen by the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel, with implementation taking place in Latvia under the leadership of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the Lithuanian University of Technology. The project is further supported by the chief specialist in pneumology at the Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital, Professor Alvila Kram, who provides scientific guidance.

For those unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed at the following link.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe under grant agreement No 101096473.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

 

Successfully completed clinical activities of the HYCOR project at the Liepāja Research Center

Photo: Toms Grīnbergs, UL Communication department

On August 28, successfully completed the clinical activities of the HYCOR project at the Liepāja Research Center in collaboration with the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (LU KPMI) and the Liepāja Regional Hospital.

The GISTAR project, a multicenter randomized trial focused on reducing gastric cancer mortality through H. pylori eradication and pepsinogen measurement, served as the foundation for the implementation of the HYCOR project. HYCOR, short for hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening, represents an innovative approach in our ongoing research to devise strategies for reducing gastric cancer mortality in high-risk areas. Within the GISTAR study, a total of 11,223 participants participated, with 842 individuals being part of the study center in Liepāja.

Invitations were extended to healthy individuals between the ages of 40 and 64 to voluntarily participate in this scientific endeavor. Study participants were required to complete a comprehensive questionnaire, covering lifestyle factors, prior medical history, and any health-related complaints. Subsequently, selected participants expressing interest were invited for further investigations. While participants were randomly chosen, diagnostic tests were strongly recommended for those in immediate need of medical attention. A specific group of participants underwent blood tests to identify signs of gastric atrophy, a condition associated with an elevated risk of stomach cancer, and an occult blood test in stool to identify patients at higher risk of colorectal cancer. Those testing positive (showing abnormalities) were encouraged to undergo endoscopic examinations.

Out of the participants, 35 individuals were identified as needing colonoscopies (lower endoscopies) due to positive occult blood test results, with 23 of them already examined. Simultaneously, 22 study participants were invited to undergo upper endoscopy, with 16 having undergone the procedure. All participants were informed of their endoscopic findings, and when necessary, were referred to the appropriate specialists.

Among the 842 residents who participated in the study, 206 were found to be infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium associated with stomach cancer development. These participants were prescribed eradication therapy for the bacteria, which they will continue until the end of August.

Additionally, at the Liepāja research center, research participants underwent specialized breath measurements using a hybrid breath analyzer. The objective of this endeavor was to develop a mathematical model for colorectal cancer detection and evaluate the sensor performance of a specially designed device for this purpose. While this device currently cannot provide an accurate diagnosis, it is contributing to the development of experimental technology for potential colorectal cancer screening. It's important to note that active analysis of the collected data and interpretation of results are ongoing.

The scientists engaged in the GISTAR study emphasize the significant global impact of digestive system tumors, accounting for a substantial portion of worldwide cancer cases. Annually, there are 3.88 million new diagnoses of this disease, resulting in 2.83 million fatalities. Colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer and stomach cancer are the most prevalent among these tumors. Importantly, many of these cancer cases can be prevented through timely diagnosis, as most digestive system tumors, including colorectal and stomach cancer, respond well to treatment when identified early. GISTAR stands as a scientific endeavor aimed at contributing to the reduction of gastric cancer mortality.

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The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’.

The project is co-financed by REACT-EU funding for mitigating the consequences of the pandemic crisis.

In the project "Comprehensive cancer infrastructures for Europe", in which the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the Lithuanian University also participates, a unified research strategy is being developed

In the "Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures 4 Europe - CCI4EU" project, which includes the participation of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the University of Latvia (UL ICPM) as its Latvian partner, efforts have commenced to develop a unified research strategy. This ambitious project aims to enhance the quality of life for 3 million individuals, encompassing cancer patients and their communities, across Europe by the year 2030.

Andrejs Pčolkins, a Latvian representative in the project and a surgeon at Riga Eastern Clinical University, as well as an expert at LU KPMI, conveyed that a working group is currently engaged in formulating a cohesive strategy for a comprehensive cancer infrastructure in Europe. Their objectives include achieving consensus on standardizing terminologies, establishing minimal prerequisites for cancer care, education, and research.

"As representatives of Latvia, we find ourselves in a unique position to gain insights from other countries. Thus far, Latvia has yet to establish a comprehensive cancer infrastructure, and we are at the initial stages of its development. Comprehensive cancer infrastructures are built upon three essential pillars: care, education, and research. Standardizing these elements across all European nations will ensure consistent and high-quality treatment for cancer patients within EU member states," emphasized surgeon A. Pčolkins.

LU KPMI serves as the Latvian partner for the "Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for Europe" project, with active involvement from experts in other Latvian institutions, including Riga Eastern Clinical University.

The CCI4EU project boasts 55 participating partners from European Union countries, as well as Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Norway, Romania, and Ukraine. Launched in May 2023, the project is slated to run through 2030.

Experts in the field of cancer, including those from Latvia, will be engaged in evaluating the competencies of participating member states within this collaborative project. The initiative includes the organization of three high-level conferences, set to take place in EU countries with the most pressing needs in this domain.

The project's objectives encompass the gathering and comparison of pertinent information from all project participants to assess the progress made in establishing effective comprehensive cancer care infrastructures. To achieve this, suitable indicators for evaluating process quality will be developed and applied throughout the project. Emphasis will be placed on various aspects of education, and a close collaboration with other ongoing and planned EU projects related to cancer is in the works.

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The project "Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures 4 Europe, CCI4EU" has received funding from the European Union program "Cancer Mission", according to grant agreement no. 101103746

One of the largest bioethics conferences in Europe will be held at the University of Latvia

The 35th European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Healthcare Conference (ESPMH Conference) is set to take place at the University of Latvia from August 23rd to 26th, 2023. This prestigious event is organized by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (LU KPMI) and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Latvia (LUMF) in collaboration with the European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care (ESPMH). Known as one of the largest annual gatherings addressing bioethical issues in Europe, this year's conference will center on the theme of "Methods in Bioethics and Medical Philosophy."

The conference attendees will engage in discussions surrounding various methodological approaches within the fields of bioethics and medical philosophy, tracing the evolution of these approaches over the last 50 years while also examining new methodologies.

Researchers will present their work on a wide range of topics, including experimental, digital, and phenomenological bioethics. The program will also delve into philosophical and ethical theory, the role of experimental philosophy in bioethics, and the intersection of bioethics with other academic disciplines such as philosophy of consciousness, political philosophy, art, humanities, and more. Notable speakers at the conference include Brian D. Earp from the Oxford University Uehiro Center for Practical Ethics, who will deliver a lecture on experimental bioethics; Professor Søren Holm from the University of Manchester and Oslo, who will explore the possibility of practicing medical ethics without a foundation in ethical theory; Sabine Salloch, a professor at Hannover Medical School (Medizinische Hochschule Hannover), who will discuss the emerging field of digital bioethics; and Kadri Simm, a professor at the University of Tartu, who will examine issues related to teaching bioethics.

The ESPMH Conference is organized by the European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care (ESPMH), an international organization comprising philosophers, ethicists, and professionals in related fields. Founded in 1987, the ESPMH is dedicated to providing critical insights into medicine and nursing within contemporary society. The conference, held annually in different countries, collaborates with leading European researchers in bioethics and medicine.

Ivars Neiders, a leading researcher at the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and one of the conference organizers, highlighted the conference's focus on diverse approaches in bioethics, emphasizing the growing significance of empirical research, both qualitative and quantitative, as well as the emergence of experimental bioethics and digital bioethics. These aspects were carefully considered when crafting the conference theme and selecting guest speakers.

For more detailed information about the conference, including registration and program details, please visit the European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Healthcare website at https://www.espmh.org/upcoming-conferences/.

The inclusion of participants from the GISTAR "Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening" - HYCOR - study in Liepāja was successfully completed on July 31st.

A total of 11,223 participants were enrolled in the study, with 842 of them being based at the Liepāja research center. The process of analyzing the study participants, collecting results, and prescribing eradication therapy will continue until the end of August. 

The researchers from the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine at the University of Latvia would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to all the study participants, the dedicated staff at the Liepāja research center, the local municipalities of the city and surrounding districts of Liepaja, as well as the medical institutions. 

This fruitful collaboration has been instrumental in the study's success. 

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The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’.

The project is co-financed by REACT-EU funding for mitigating the consequences of the pandemic crisis.

The results of the HYCOR project will be presented at two international conferences

Based on the results of the “Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening” - HYCOR project, the following theses will be presented at two international scientific conferences:

The 34th World Congress of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists, and Oncologists, to be held in Verona, Italy, on September 9 – 12, 2023 - poster presentation “Significance of Volatile Organic Compounds in Surgical Resection Tissues and Exhaled Breath from Colorectal Cancer Patients”. More information: https://www.iasgoverona.com/

The United European Gastroenterology Week 2023, which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 14 – 17, 2023 – poster presentation “Investigation of volatilomic signatures of colorectal tissues towards identification of potential non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer”. More information: https://ueg.eu/week/programme

The main objective of both studies was to investigate volatile organic compounds produced by colorectal cancer tissues, and additionally, the presence of these organic compounds was identified in the exhaled breath of colorectal cancer patients.

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The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’.

The project is co-financed by REACT-EU funding for mitigating the consequences of the pandemic crisis.

The operation of the reserach center in Ludza has concluded

On July 14, the first research center in Ludza completed its dynamic monitoring study of the GISTAR participant cohort. A total of 547 GISTAR participants were enrolled in the research center in Ludza. The study is part of the international project "Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication" (EUROHELICAN).  

The general objective of the EUROHELICAN project is to assess the feasibility of population-based H. pylori test- and treat strategy for gastric cancer prevention in Europe. The EUROHELICAN project aims to contribute to the improvement and fostering of health in the European Union by contributing to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s objective to prevent gastric cancers caused by H. pylori infections. 

Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (UL ICPM) is carrying out this project in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health - NIJZ (Slovenia), the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (France), Nantes University Hospital (France), and the Community Healthcare Center Dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor (Slovenia). The project will continue until the end of April 2025. 

For more information about the project, please visit the EUROHELICAN section on the UL ICPM website. 

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.

Find out more about the AIDA project

Most cases of gastric cancer are detected at a late stage when patients have a median life expectancy of about a year. Diagnosing people at risk of developing gastric cancer at the pre-symptomatic stage, typically chronic infection with H. pylori, could significantly improve the outlook.

Since the beginning of 2023, UL ICPM researchers are involved in the project AIDA (An Artificially Intelligent Diagnostic Assistant for gastric inflammation). It is a multidisciplinary AI-powered assistant that helps clinicians diagnose precancerous inflammation, suggests personalised therapeutic strategies for medical treatment and follow-up, and makes personalised recommendations for monitoring patient health status, thus contributing to gastric cancer prevention.

In this consortium, we assist clinicians and researchers in their decision making by providing accurate and automated data analytics. We bring together available data from various sources into a vast virtual data lake to derive a ‘risk score’ for gastric cancer and shed light onto the mechanisms of its evolution.

Find out more about the project on the AIDA project website www.aidaeuproject.org

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Funded by the European Union (grant number 101095359) and supported by the UK Research and Innovation (grant number 10058099). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

German-Baltic summer school on contemporary issues and challenges in public health to be held in Tartu

From August 28th to September 2023, an international public health summer school will be held at the Universtiy of Tartu, Estonia – German-Baltic summer school on "Contemporary issues and challenges in public health: strengthening academic exchange and internationalization in public health education".

The summer school is organized by the Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Tartu, together with Witten/Herdecke University from Germany, University of Latvia and Vilnius University from Lithuania. The primary target group consists of current public health master’s students and recent graduates.

The summer school takes place in Tartu – in the Alexander Schmidt Center, the university’s Biomeedikum building (Ravila 19). The summer school starts on Monday 28.08.2023 at 13:00 and ends on Friday 01.09.2023 by 14:00, so those coming from outside Tartu can fit  the trip into five working days.

In addition to the presentations of international experts, an important part of the summer school are joint discussions about the challenges that public health experts in the world are currently facing, and thus also the training needs of public health experts. During the summer school, also joint activities for getting to know each other and exchanging experiences, are planned.

Information about the summer school on the website https://tervis.ut.ee/et/sisu/german-baltic-public-health-summer-school will be continuously updated.

Registration is open until July 31.

The number of participants is limited. In order to give an opportunity to interested parties from all the countries, participants are selected based on the information (incl motivation) provided in the registration form.

The summer school is funded by

European Commission nominates UL to lead a large-scale joint activity for the development of cancer screening throughout Europe

Photo: Toms Grīnbergs, University of Latvia Communication department

The European Commission (HaDEA - EU4Health Steering Group) has nominated the University of Latvia (UL) to coordinate a large-scale European Joint Action project application for the implementation of Cancer Screening Programs (CR-g-23-38). The Ministry of Health has chosen the UL as the authorized competent institution and the main national partner in the project. Following the proposal of the European Commission, UL will coordinate the preparation and submission of the project application at the European level. The project will be implemented by specialists from the University of Latvia Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (UL ICPM).

All EU member states and associated countries - Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine - participate in the Joint Actions initiated by the EU within the "EU4Health" program. With substantial EU co-financing, all member states work together to coordinate the development of various instruments, methods, and approaches in specific health areas, as well as improve opportunities in various other related areas. The goal of the Joint Action coordinated by UL ICPM is to support the full implementation of breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening, as well as evaluate the feasibility of planning and conducting pilot studies for the newly recommended screening programs (for prostate, lung, and gastric cancers), thereby stimulating the gradual implementation of these programs until full program launch. The activities will provide significant support to EU member states in implementing European Council Commission recommendations on cancer screening at the national level.

An integral part of the process is ensuring quality in the screening system and exchanging experiences between EU countries. Similar to other EU programs, a significant emphasis will be placed on reducing inequalities in access to high-quality screening programs. Inequality in screening accessibility is viewed in the broadest sense, both at the level of individual social groups, such as those who do not understand the text of the letters they receive or choose not to participate due to prejudice, and at the national level, such as seeking reasons for differing screening standards and participation rates, e.g., in Latvia, Slovenia, or Sweden.

The Joint Action for the implementation of cancer screening programs envisions the establishment of a comprehensive collaboration network, with participants nominated by the Ministry of Health of each participating country. In each country, there will be a leading partner who coordinates the work of other specific national institutions. In Latvia, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Rīga Stradiņš University, and Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital will also participate in the activity.

UL ICPM was established in 2016. Thanks to active research in early cancer diagnostics and prevention, it has become not only a leading institution in cancer research in Latvia but also a significant participant in cancer research processes on a European and global scale. Currently, the institute is involved in several projects supporting the EU Cancer Mission and EU Beating Cancer Plan. Since 2013, scientists at UL ICPM have been leading the gastric cancer prevention study GISTAR, supervised by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (IARC/WHO). It is the only study of its kind in Europe. It aims to identify and develop new screening, early diagnosis, and treatment opportunities for gastrointestinal tract cancer. In 2023, UL ICPM launched the project "Towards Gastric Cancer Screening Implementation in the European Union" (TOGAS), led by Latvian scientists. In this project, more than 20 partners from 14 European countries are working on the development of guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of gastric cancer screening and the evaluation of screening effectiveness. The institute also coordinates the project "Improving Cancer Care Coordination and Screening in Latvia and Slovakia" (ICCCS), where leading European and global experts in the field of cancer assess Latvia's cancer care practices and provide recommendations for improvement, as well as other projects related to health prevention, treatment, and care.

The 2022 European “Council Recommendation on strengthening prevention through early detection: a new EU approach on cancer screening” is recommending implementation of three new cancer screening programs, including for gastric cancer, in the European Union (EU).

The TOGAS project* (“Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union”) brings together 20 partners from 14 European countries to address effective implementation of gastric cancer screening across the EU.

The purpose of this conference is to inform participants on the current evidence related to gastric cancer prevention as well as to gather feedback from EU Member States on the needs and potential barriers for streamlining gastric cancer screening. We encourage policymakers, screening experts, epidemiologists, medical specialists, as well as patient representatives, to participate in person and share their insights, experiences, and expertise. We look forward to fruitful discussions and collaborations that will undoubtedly arise from this gathering. Together, let us work towards improving gastric cancer prevention and screening practices across Europe, with the ultimate aim of reducing the burden of this devastating disease.

We invite representatives from the Member States, national screening experts and patient advocates to participate in the Conference “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union” to be held on September 7, 2023 in the Flanders Meeting & Convention Center Antwerp, Belgium. The conference will also feature live video streaming.

Date and place:

September 7, 2023

Flanders Meeting & Convention Center, Antwerp, Belgium and on‐line

Participants:

‐ EU country representatives (ministries, national cancer institutes)

‐ European Council & JRC representatives

‐ Cancer screening specialists

‐ Project consortia members (TOGAS, EUROHELICAN, AIDA, PRAISE‐U, SOLACE)

‐ Researchers and opinion leaders involved in gastric cancer prevention

‐ Patient advocates

To confirm your attendance, complete the registration form.

For more information please visit Project TOGAS website.

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This project has received funding from the European Union programme EU4Health under Grant Agreement No 101101252

Disclaimer:

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

UL ICPM represents Latvia in the International Cancer Screening Network

From June 21 to 23, the director of UL ICPM, Professor Mārcis Leja, represented Latvia at the meeting of the International Cancer Screening Network (ICSN) in Turin, Italy. This network involves representatives and experts from various countries and organizations to promote the development of contextually appropriate multidisciplinary, evidence-based, and population-based screening strategies. The goal of ICSN is to assess cancer screening practices and discuss methods to improve the quality and effectiveness of screening programs.

Participation in the International Cancer Screening Network is open to every country and region that either has implemented or plans to implement population-based cancer screening programs. Meetings of the network's representatives, organizations, and other experts are organized every four years, and Latvia has rarely been represented in them until now.

The network's representatives have established thematic working groups that work with research, data sets, and screening strategy evaluations. In 2023, the working groups focused on evaluating breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening.

More about the event can be found at: https://icsn.global/icsn-2023/

Project TOGAS joined by a Fulbright scholar

Professor of the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences at Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Dr. Yelena N. Tarasenko, has earned a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in All Disciplines to Latvia for the 2023-2024 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

In her Fulbright project “Strengthening research and teaching capacity in cancer prevention globally” Yelena N. Tarasenko will be collaborating with the TOGAS consortium, coordinated by UL ICPM, for (i) implementation research focused on cancer screening and patient navigation, and (ii) teaching activities focused on fostering research productivity (e.g., guest lecturing, curriculum development, advising, and mentoring).

For more information please visit Georgia Southern’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health website.

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This project has received funding from the European Union programme EU4Health under Grant Agreement No 101101252

Disclaimer:

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

A new article on UL ICPM study has been published online in “Gut”

Photo: Book publishing photo created by Racool_studio - www.freepik.com

The leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, "Gut" with the Impact Factor 31.795 has published a new scientific article “Clarithromycin-containing triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication is inducing increased long-term resistant bacteria communities in the gut”. This study was conducted by scientists from UL ICPM (University of Latvia, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine): Olga Sjomina, Reinis Vangravs, Elīna Ļeonova, Inese Poļaka, Dārta Pūpola, Kristaps Čivkulis, Sergejs Paršutins, Ilmārs Stonāns, and Mārcis Leja. Aleksandra Janiceka, a scientist from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Latvia (represented also by prof. M. Leja un Elīna Ļeonova), also contributed to the research as well. International colleagues Dr. Jin Young Park from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and Prof. Lars Engstrand from the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at the Karolinska Institute were part of the research team.

The importance of gut resistome induction following H. pylori eradication therapies has been debated for years, and the available information is controversial; the general thought is that normal gut microbiota is restored 3–6 months after antibiotic treatment. Therefore, a randomised controlled clinical trial as part of the GISTAR study in Latvia was conducted by evaluating alterations in gut microbiota before and 6 months after administering two treatment regimens for H. pylori eradication. The obtained results suggest that gut resistome remained increased for at least 6 months after the 14-day clarithromycin-containing regimen, which was not observed in the amoxicillin/bismuth-containing treatment and control groups. Based on the study's findings, the researchers propose that prior to implementing new antibiotic-based treatment protocols, such as those aimed at preventing gastric cancer, it is crucial to assess the long-term impact on the potential induction of gut resistome.

Study is implemented by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund ) within the framework of 2nd part of measure 1.1.1.1. "Practical Studies", project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/18/A/184 "Optimisation of H.pylori eradication therapy for population-based gastric cancer prevention"

Latvian specialists share experiences with Slovak colleagues

Photo: From personal archive

On June 20 - 21, in Bratislava, Slovakia, cancer-care experts met in part of the project "Improving cancer care coordination and screening in Latvia and Slovakia" (ICCCS). The meeting was organized by the Slovak Oncology Alliance, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (IRAC/WHO), the European Cancer Organisation (ECO), and the Ministry of Health of Slovakia, focusing on topics related to improving cancer patient care in Slovakia. After that, project experts continued their work, familiarizing themselves with the current healthcare practices in Slovakia. Representing Latvia at the event were the project co-leaders in Latvia, UL ICPM director prof. Mārcis Leja, and the Smart Technology Adviser to the President of Latvia Rolands Lappuķe, and the Director of the National Health Service Āris Kasparāns.

This was the first time that Slovak oncology system representatives had the opportunity to meet and discuss cancer indicator improvement with internationally recognized experts. The goal of the participating parties, including various institutions, patient organizations, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and international organizations, is to reduce mortality, promote disease prevention, improve early diagnosis, enhance the availability of healthcare services, and raise public awareness of cancer-related issues.

The project "Improving cancer care coordination and screening in Latvia and Slovakia" has been ongoing since the beginning of 2022. Internationally renowned experts in the field of cancer familiarize themselves with the work and problem situations in the healthcare sectors of Latvia and Slovakia and prepare proposals for various improvements. The recommendations provided by the experts help healthcare specialists and decision-makers improve cancer screening indicators, make improvements to the cancer registry, and promote favorable conditions for the establishment of Comprehensive Cancer Centers in both countries. The project in Latvia is coordinated by the UL ICPM, with its conclusion expected at the end of this year.

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The project is supported by the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI) and implemented in cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM).

UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka-Ebela defends her doctoral thesis

On June 16, 2023, UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka-Ebela defended her doctoral thesis "A population tailored approach to improve the performance of the pepsinogen testing for precancerous gastric leisions"  for obtaining a Ph.D in medical and health sciences, in the field of clinical medicine, in the subfield of internal medicine.

The thesis is based on the data from our multicentric randomized study of H.pylori eradication and pepsinogen testing for prevention of gastric cancer mortality GISTAR. It was supervised by Dr.med. prof. Mārcis Leja (University of Latvia) and Dr.phil. Jin Young Park (International Agency for Research on Cancer), and reviewed by professor of the UL Faculty of Medicine, Dr.med. Aldis Puķītis, Riga Stradins University professor Dr.med. Juris Pokrotnieks, and Trinity College representative Ph.D Colm O'Morain (Dublin, Ireland).

Congratulations!

 

We wish you a merry Midsummer celebration! We will be back at the office on June 26!

 

UL ICPM continues the EUROHELICAN project

The general objective of the EUROHELICAN project is to assess the feasibility of population-based H. pylori test- and treat strategy for gastric cancer prevention in Europe. The EUROHELICAN project aims to contribute to the improvement and fostering of health in the European Union by contributing to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s objective to prevent gastric cancers caused by H. pylori infections.

We urge you to find out more about the project on our webpage, dedicated to the project.

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.

UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka – Ebela receives recognition for the best theses at the conference

Photo: from personal archive

In the second half of May, the 2nd European Conference of Young Gastroenterologists "Challenges in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology" took place in Srebreno, Croatia. Among the five young Latvian gastroenterologists, UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka-Ebela also participated in the conference. She received an award for the best theses for her poster paper "Erosive esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori infection associated with the accuracy of the pepsinogen test in detecting precancerous gastric lesions".

Congratulations!

Poster presentation development support:

European Social Fund project " Strengthening the doctoral capacity of the University of Latvia within the framework of the new doctoral model" no. 8.2.2.0/20/I/006;

“Optimisation of H.pylori eradication therapy for population-based gastric cancer prevention” funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project "Practical Studies", 2nd phase (project ID No. 1.1.1.1/18/A/184).

Under the guidance of the scientific assistant of the UL ICPM, student completes his studies at the University of Latvia with honors

Photo: from personal archive

At the end of May, the thesis defense sessions of the faculty of medicine took place at the University of Latvia. Student Alexander Nyrén, who developed his diploma thesis under the guidance of UL ICPM scientific assistant Olga Sjomina-Gubareva, received an excellent evaluation and Dr. med. Prof. Dainis Krieviņš’s recognition for the best diploma thesis presentation. The new graduate's work "The value of pepsinogen I/II ratio, ghrelin and trefoil factor 3 in diagnosing precancerous gastric lesions" is based on GISTAR study, implemented by the UL ICPM, data.

Congratulations and we wish you continued success!

European experts gather to improve the quality of cancer screening in Europe

Photo: from personal archive. From the right: Piret Veerus, researcher at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the National Institute for Health Development in Estonia, prof. Marcis Leja and Ondrej Majek, analyst of the Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses in Czechia

On June 1 and 2, UL ICPM director prof. Marcis Leja participates in the expert meeting of the CanScreen-ECIS (ECIS – European Cancer Information System) project, which takes place at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France. Within the framework of this project, experts in the field of cancer are developing cancer screening indicators, the reporting of which in the EU common database will be the responsibility of each EU member state in the future. This data management system will be integrated into the already existing European Cancer Information System and will act as a quality control mechanism in EU cancer screening programs.

Photo: from personal archive. From right: IARC Public Health Officer Nadya Dimitrova, IARC Head of Screening Group Partha Basu and IARC Director Elisabete Weiderpass

The purpose of the meeting of experts from Europe and its neighboring countries is to finalize the data collection templates and the process of data collection necessary for the project.

CanScreen-ECIS will provide understandable and easy-to-access data about cancer screening across Europe. Knowing how cancer screening programmes are performing will ultimately help programme managers to work together with various stakeholders (such as the European Cancer Leagues) to improve the quality and coverage of screening.

Read more about the CanScreen-ECIS project at https://canscreen-ecis.iarc.who.int/

UL ICPM participates in creation of comprehensive cancer infrastructure in Europe

Photo: from personal archive

On May 23 - 24, in Milan, Italy, the kick-off event of a new project called "Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures 4 Europe" (CCI4EU) took place. The event was attended by the Director of the UL Institute Clinical and Preventive Medicine Institute (UL ICPM), Professor Mārcis Leja, and UL ICPM researcher Dina Bēma.

The CCI4EU project is being implemented within the framework of the European Union's "Horizon Europe" program, specifically the Cancer Mission. This EU mission aims to develop various aspects of cancer prevention and treatment in order to maximize the quality of life for 3 million cancer patients and their caregivers by 2030. The Cancer Mission, in accordance with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, sets the main research directions, working towards raising awareness about cancer, improving its diagnosis, and optimizing treatment, thus enhancing the quality of life for cancer patients during and after treatment. Improvements in the field of cancer have also been set as a priority by the Latvian Ministry of Health.

Within the framework of the CCI4EU project, the acquisition and comparison of essential information among all project participating countries is planned in order to assess the extent to which they are progressing in successful establishment of Comprehensive Cancer Care infrastructures. To accomplish this, appropriate indicators for evaluating the quality of processes will be developed and implemented throughout the project. Significant attention will be devoted to various educational aspects. There will also be close integration with other ongoing and planned EU projects in the field of cancer.

Cancer experts, including those from Latvia, will be involved in mutual assessment of competencies among the project's participating countries. The project will feature three high-level conferences to be organized in EU countries with weaker indicators.

For the participating countries, the project offers an opportunity to establish and develop connections among Cancer Centers and related organizations in all EU member states and candidate countries. CCI4EU will facilitate collaboration with European and international organizations such as the Organization of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), the European School of Oncology (ESO), the European Cancer Organisation (ECO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of University of Latvia and experts from other Latvian institutions, including Riga East Clinical University Hospital, have actively participated in the project since its application stage.

UL ICPM has previously initiated and is coordinating the project "Improving Cancer Care Coordination and Screening in Latvia and Slovakia" (ICCCS) in Latvia. During the project, since the beginning of 2022, experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Organization of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), and Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC) have visited Latvia multiple times to develop specially tailored action plans, strategic guidelines, and practical recommendations for improving the effectiveness of various elements of cancer care in Latvia. The strategic recommendations from the experts encompass improvements in cancer care coordination, registries, and screening, and their implementation in practice has already begun.

UL ICPM works at the LUCIA consortium

Since the beginning of 2023, the project “Understanding Lung Cancer related risk factors and their Impact” – LUCIA takes place.

The consortium’s goal is to improve the management of lung cancer from the aspects of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment, notably of lung cancers that are relatively rare. The results of the consortium’s work will be translated into policy recommendations, which will be integrated into the early diagnosis program and into methods for addressing the disease effectively.

In Latvia, the project is implemented by the scientists of the UL Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, under the scientific guidance of prof. Alvils Krams.

LUCIA is led by the Israel Institute of Technology Technion.

To find out more about the project and filloe the news, folloe the social media accounts of the project:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

• Instagram 

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe under grant agreement No 101096473.

 

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

UL signs a cooperation memorandum and academic cooperation agreement with Azerbaijani institutions

Photo: publicity image, prof. Mārcis Leja and the head of ASATID prof. Nazim Gasimov

On May 18 and 19, in Baku, Azerbaijan, the University of Latvia affirmed its collaboration through a memorandum of cooperation with the Azerbaijan Gastroenterology and Invasive Endoscopy Society (AGIES). Additionally, an agreement for academic cooperation was concluded with the Azerbaijan State Advanced Training Institute for Doctors named after A. Aliyev (ASATID). The University of Latvia was represented by Professor Mārcis Leja, the Director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia. He also held a meeting with Azerbaijan's Minister of Health, Teymur Musayev, to discuss collaboration opportunities.  As part of the visit, prof. Leja presented the latest developments in gastric cancer screening in the European Union at the IV Gastroenterology Conference organized by AGIES.

During the meetings, Professor Mārcis Leja discussed the benefits of mutual international cooperation in the fields of academia, research, and education with the Azerbaijani Minister of Health and representatives of the institutions. The Minister of Health of Azerbaijan Teymur Musayev expressed interest in collaboration and support for mutual efforts between the two countries. Representatives of research and educational institutions discussed the desired and possible areas of collaboration, including jointly organized academic, research, and educational activities such as conferences, seminars, lectures, and the implementation of joint fundamental research projects involving the intellectual potential of both sides. They also discussed mutual involvement in national and international research projects, including cooperation in the preparation and implementation of projects at the international, European Union, and national levels, collaboration within doctoral education programs, further education for scientific and academic personnel, and the provision of modern post-doctoral programs.

The IV Gastroenterology Conference organized by AGIES took place on May 19 and 20 in Baku. Professor Mārcis Leja the latest updates on gastric cancer prevention in the context of the European Union and the world.

With a special video, we invite to get to know our Pragma-TIC project

The project Pragma-TIC "Digital Health Literacy for the Hospital of the Future” (grant No. 21PCA0019 / 2021-1-BE01-KA220-ADU-000033677) is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Latvia participates in a new European consortium for creating a network of support for EU Mission on Cancer

The project Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies (ECHoS) aims to coordinate R&I and Healthcare actions on cancer, with policy-making processes, towards people-centric healthcare and research systems. The consortium brings together the leading expertise of more than 50 governmental, healthcare, academic, and nonprofit organizations from 28 countries. National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs) will be created in each country to engage a broad range of stakeholders from both public and private sectors in collaborative initiatives and policy dialogues on cancer, at national, regional and local levels.

Cancer represents a global health challenge. It affects everyone regardless of gender, or even social status and is a tremendous burden for patients, families, friends, and societies. According to the European Cancer Information System, the incidence of cancer in Europe by 2040 is expected to increase by 20.96% and mortality by 31.76%. This means that if no further actions are taken, around 3.24 million people will be diagnosed, and 1.66 million people will die in Europe. There is a pressing need to act, together.

Driving the Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer initiative is the ambitious goal to improve “the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and for those affected by cancer including their families, to live longer and better”. This is also the driving force behind the project ECHoS, Establishing of Cancer Mission Hubs: Networks and Synergies.

ECHoS, a new, three-year European consortium supported by Mission on Cancer, will play a vital role in supporting the bold and inspirational goals defined by this European initiative. Bringing together the expertise of 58 leading organisations, from governmental, healthcare, research, academic and non-profit sectors, this key consortium will ultimately provide member states and associated countries (MS/AC) with the capacity to gradually create National Cancer Mission Hubs (NCMHs). These NCMHs, operating at national, regional, and local levels, will have a vital role in involving all relevant stakeholders, including citizens, in cancer-related policy dialogues.

“The fight against cancer can no longer be an isolated endeavour. Currently, research, innovation and healthcare initiatives are largely siloed within specific communities and the engagement of citizens is either poor or nonexistent,” said Dr. Anabela Isidro, member of the AICIB (Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation in Portugal) board. “Supported by the European Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Mission on Cancer, cancer occupies a central place within the European political agenda. At the conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe, political leaders championed pan-European cooperation towards a Health in All Policies approach, and a data-informed, citizen-focused, research-driven agenda. The time to act is now.” She concluded.

Latvia is represented by several organizations, for example, including the Riga East Clinical University Hospital, Ministry of Health, and Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia, which will collaborate closely with the consortium coordinators (AICIB) and leading experts across Europe, to establish a NCMH in our country. This combined effort will coordinate R&I and Healthcare actions on cancer with policy-making processes towards people-centric healthcare and research systems in ways that cannot be achieved through individual efforts and fragmented initiatives.

The recent COVID-19 emergency exposed the fragilities in health systems, halting research, arresting clinical trials, and forcing limited resource allocation to tackle these emerging needs. Still, it also highlighted countries’ capacity to create functional synergies in health, policy, and research, successfully impacting the health scenario. With the Kick-Off Meeting held on May 3, 2023, ECHoS has set the foundations for a strong and cohesive network of NCMHs among MS/AC aligned with Mission on Cancer. ECHoS will break new frontiers, beyond established research and health systems, reaching from individual citizens to European Institutions, Civil Society, Social Sector, Academia, Public and Private Sectors, improving the current landscape and setting a brighter future in cancer. 

ECHoS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Actions programme under grant agreement No 101104587

UL ICPM researchers work at the AIDA consortium

Since the beginning of 2023, UL ICPM researchers are involved in the project AIDA (An Artificially Intelligent Diagnostic Assistant for gastric inflammation). The project consortium comprises 15 centres of excellence from eight European countries. The project goal is to create an AI-powered tool to help clinicians diagnose precancerous inflammation, provide personalized medical follow-up, recommend action to monitor patients’ health status, and select treatment. AIDA will pool together data from different sectors, including research and innovation centres, clinical partners, industry and patients, while adhering to European data protection law.

Find out more about the project on the leading partner’s INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute website!

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Funded by the European Union (grant number 101095359) and supported by the UK Research and Innovation (grant number 10058099). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

We wish you the sunniest of Easter holidays!

We will be back in the office on April 11!

Latvian scientists to lead gastric cancer screening development in Europe

House of Science of the University of Latvia

Author: Toms Grīnbergs, University of Latvia Communication department

The Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (UL ICPM) has begun leading a new European project. Under the guidance of Latvian scientists, more than 20 partners from 14 European countries will work for recommending appropriate implementation of gastric cancer screening across the European Union (EU). The project will include evaluation of various strategies for effective prevention of gastric cancer mortality in all EU member states. It is one of three EU-funded projects launched since the EU Council approved a new approach to cancer screening in December last year. The project results will aide policy makers in incorporating gastric cancer screening into their healthcare priorities.

The Recommendation approved by the EU Council at the end of last year includes updates to existing recommendations for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. The new approach also calls for extending screening programmes to prostate, lung and, under certain circumstances, gastric cancer, in a stepwise approach. The Recommendation is part of a new EU Cancer Screening Scheme, put forward as a flagship initiative of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. The new EU approach, based on the latest available scientific developments and evidence, will help ensuring that 90% of the EU population who qualify for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings are offered such screening by 2025. For lung, prostate, and gastric cancers, the Recommendation invites a gradual introduction in all member states.

The general objective of the project “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union", abbreviated TOGAS, is to provide the missing evidence-based knowledge by implementing three pilot studies, each designed to address specific aspects of gastric cancer screening and its early detection. Involving cost effectiveness modelling and addressing medical ethics aspects, the results will be further transferred to design a plan and implement appropriate gastric cancer prevention across the EU. The results from this project will aide policy makers in incorporating gastric cancer screening into their healthcare priorities while balancing its effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability with long-term potential adverse effects.

The Scientific Manager of the project prof. Mārcis Leja

Author: Toms Grīnbergs, University of Latvia Communication department

“Currently, no effective screening modality to prevent gastric cancer is available in Europe. Elimination of H.pylori bacteria is expected to decrease the gastric cancer caused mortality by 40%, with another approach being an early detection of precancerous lesions for surveillance. It is essential to find ways to implement this prevention in practice," states the Scientific Manager of the project, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia director, prof. Mārcis Leja.

The project is supported by the European Union programme EU4Health and will run for 36 months. Along with prof. Leja, the project team includes UL ICPM researcher and project scientific coordinator Danute Ražuka-Ebela and UL ICPM project coordinator Madara Grīnšteine.

Universities, research organisations, European networks and professional organizations, hospitals, and medical centres are among the partner organisations, and anticipates close collaboration with representatives from EU member state ministries and responsible institutions for screening implementation. The TOGAS consortium comprise: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the European Society of Digestive Oncology (ESDO), Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE), the European Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group (EHMSG), the European Cancer Organization (E.C.O.), the National Institute of Public Health in Slovenia (NIJZ), Nantes University Hospital in France, Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands, the Portuguese Oncology Institute (I.P.O.), the Madrilenian Health Service in Spain, the Foundation for Biomedical Research in Spain, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania, Wroclaw Medical University in Poland, University Hospital Centre Zagreb in Croatia, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka in Croatia, Thomas More University in Belgium, Beakon Hospital Sandyford Limited in Ireland, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg in Germany, and the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute of Oncology in Poland.

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This project has received funding from the European Union programme EU4Health under Grant Agreement No 101101252

Disclaimer:

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

We invite you to follow the opening of the Kick-off meeting of TOGAS live

Time of the livestram - 9:30 - 10:30 EET

Submission deadline for EHMSG workshop 2023 is approaching on May 7

Find out more on www.ehmsg.org

The workshop will be held on September 7-9, 2023, in Antwerp, Belgium.

Institute researchers participate in the 47th scientific research conference for students

On March 10th, the 47th scientific research conference for students in the Pierīga region took place. As experts and reviewers in the computer science/informatics and mathematics sections, leading researchers from the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia, Arnis Kiršners and Sergejs Paršutins, participated.

The interdisciplinary evaluation committee established by the National Centre for Education of the Republic of Latvia evaluated the works of the State ZPD conference in all fields of science (natural sciences, humanities and arts, engineering and technology, agriculture, forestry and veterinary sciences, medicine and health sciences, social sciences) by evaluating student posters and their subsequent discussions.

The state 47th conference on student scientific research work will take place on March 31, 2023, at the Riga Technical University. Student works that have received at least 100 points in the second round (regional conference) are nominated for the state ZPD conference.

The scientific research conference for student works is organized by the National Centre for Education of the Republic of Latvia within the framework of the ESF project "Implementation of National and International-scale events for the development of student talent", project number 8.3.2.1/16/I/002

For more information: https://ej.uz/zpdkonference2023

Changes are expected in the care of cancer patients in Latvia

The citizens of Latvia can expect improved cancer screening, more personalized medicine, improved access to targeted therapy, palliative care, and more opportunities for patients. In a special project funded by the European Union, after appropriate research, a series of solutions to problems in the care of cancer patients in Latvia have been found. On March 8-9, the international experts involved in the project presented their recommendations to those involved in the Latvian health sector. By implementing these recommendations, a decrease in the burden of cancer in Latvia is expected - better survival rates and a better quality of life.

Since the beginning of 2022, experts from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), the Organization of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) and the Erasmus University Medical Center (EMC) have visited Latvia several times to exhibit action plans, strategic guides and practical guidance on how to improve the effectiveness of various elements of cancer care. The European Commission has defined the fight against cancer as its main priority in the field of health. Improvements in the field of cancer have also been set as a priority by the Ministry of Health of Latvia.

The project "Improving cancer care coordination and screening in Latvia and Slovakia" in Latvia was initiated and coordinated by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (UL ICPM). Based on the recommendation of the international experts involved in the project, a Steering Committee of the project was established. It is led by the Minister of Health of Latvia Līga Meņģelsone and consists of representatives of several participating ministries - Ministries of Health, Education and Science, Finance, Environmental Protection and Regional Development and their subordinate institutions, as well as representatives of patients and other institutions. Such multifaceted institutional involvement is necessary as all these parties are involved in improving cancer care processes.

The expertise of the project is divided into three equally important areas, in which the improvements must be implemented in an interconnected manner. First of all, it is necessary to introduce an effective population-based cancer registry in Latvia. With the help of this register, such data is calculated and analyzed that characterizes the burden of cancer and helps in making decisions for disease control - to set priorities, resource allocation and evaluate the progress of cancer patient care. In the creation and maintenance of the register, international standards must be followed, which allow obtaining indicators that are comparable at the international level. An essential prerequisite for a well-functioning cancer registry is the full involvement of medical institutions and professionals who need to enter these data, ensuring full data entry. “Without a cancer registry, it is impossible to improve processes related to cancer care - we simply do not know what needs to be improved. Therefore, the creation of a good register is the first and most important step for the implementation of all future recommendations," explains the co-chairman of the project in Latvia, director of UL ICPM, prof. Mārcis Leja.

Prof. Mārcis Leja

Photo by Toms Grīnbergs, University of Latvia Communication department

Secondly, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of cancer screening in Latvia. The involved international experts indicate that well-organized cancer screening is cost-effective. Also in this area, it is necessary to ensure systematic registration of screening quality parameters in accordance with international standards, moreover, in a database that would allow these data to be merged with those recorded in the cancer registry. "Thanks to the responsiveness of the Ministry of Health and its subordinate institutions - the Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the National Health Service - significant progress has already been made in the planning of such a data system. Our task now is to create such a registry and get it used by all participating organizations, then to achieve the minimum quality indicators that are a mandatory prerequisite for an organized cancer screening," comments prof. Mārcis Leja.

Thirdly, Latvia must take targeted steps towards the establishment of a Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Comprehensive Cancer Network, which would also be included in the relevant network of European Cancer Centers. Such a center would be an institution oriented towards comprehensive cooperation, where patients could receive not only the highest quality cancer treatment and care, but where the cancer research and education processes of all participating organizations - research institutes, universities, laboratories - would be concentrated. At the same time, the path of the Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital to the establishment of an internationally accredited Cancer Center, which could eventually serve as the core of a Comprehensive Cancer Center, was started. The creation of a Comprehensive Cancer Network would mean that patients would receive equally high-quality cancer treatment not only at Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital, but also in Liepāja, Daugavpils and other Latvian hospitals.

Dr Andre Carvalho

Photo by Toms Grīnbergs, University of Latvia Communication department

As one of the most significant challenges in the implementation of recommendations in Latvia, the experts involved indicate the currently low interoperability of organizations - related to the availability of health data at the clinical level. ”Latvia has skilled specialists. The implemented "green corridor" system, in which symptomatic patients receive access to treatment outside the waiting line, is a positive thing. To improve the efficiency of cancer care, it is very important to improve the data system and integrate all the elements of the developed recommendations. For project outcomes to be sustainable, the commitment of local stakeholders is important. We see that Latvia's policy makers and decision makers are ready to put our prepared recommendations into practice, and so we expect a positive impact moving forward,” comments the principal investigator of the project Dr Andre Carvalho (IARC/WHO).

In the course of the project, as the experts regularly communicate with Latvian health sector specialists, the practical implementation of the recommendations has already begun. The European Commission will continue to follow the progress of the implementation of the recommendations in Latvia.

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The project is supported by the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI) and implemented in cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM).

The activity of the Ludza Research Center has begun

Photo: Training of employees at the Ludza Research Center.

On February 28, the GISTAR research center opened its doors in Ludza. Until March 2, training was conducted there for future GISTAR research center employees. GISTAR participants will be invited to participate in the "EUROHELICAN and TOGAS cohort dynamic control monitoring study of GISTAR study participants" within the research stage.

On March 1, the scientific director of the GISTAR project, director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine Institute of the University of Latvia (IL ICPM), gastroenterologist, and professor at the University of Latvia, Mārcis Leja, gave a lecture on the possibilities of reducing mortality caused by stomach cancer and European perspectives on these issues in the Microsoft Teams environment. As lecturers, the new project scientist Sergejs Paršutins, senior expert at ICPM, GISTAR research administrative manager Aiga Rūdule, ICPM researchers Reinis Vangravs and Edgars Dauss participated in the training in person.

During the training, the new team was introduced to the research website, data usage and security rules, the GISTAR data management system, research protocol, the inclusion of study participants, and the acquisition of all standard procedures in practice.

On March 3, the inclusion of study participants in the dynamic control monitoring study of the cohort (EUROHELICAN and TOGAS projects) began at the Ludza research center.

The "Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication” project, or EUROHELICAN for short, is an EU-supported project under the EU4Health program. It will evaluate a population-based strategy for testing and eradicating the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. As a result of the project, world and European experts will develop guidelines for the introduction of gastric cancer screening and recommendations for evaluating its effectiveness. In Latvia, it is led by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine Institute of the University of Latvia in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia (NIJZ), the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (IARC/WHO, France), Nantes University Hospital (France), and the Community Healthcare Center Dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor (Slovenia). The project will continue until the end of April 2025.

More about the EUROHELICAN project - https://www.kpmi.lu.lv/lv-lv/petijumi-un-projekti/eurohelican

The project “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union”, abbreviated as TOGAS, will begin in March 2023, with UL ICPM being the leading partner, collaborating with more than 20 institutions throughout Europe.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.

Experts will present recommendations for improving cancer care for patients in Latvia

Publicity photo: Simon Oberst (OECI) during a meeting in Latvia

For two days, on March 8 and 9, a conference at the premises of the University of Latvia will be held where international experts of a cancer care coordination and screening improvement project will present recommendations for improving cancer care for patients in Latvia to Latvian health sector specialists, politicians, public officials and patient advocate organisations.

"In a way, it will be a historic event," summarizes one of the chairmen of the project, director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (UL ICPM), Professor Mārcis Leja. After a thorough expertise on cancer care conducted in Latvia, representatives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (IARC/WHO), the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), and the ERASMUS University Medical Center (EMC) will present recommendations to create, improve and ensure equally high-quality and equally accessible cancer care for all patients in Latvia.

Anyone interested is invited to attend the public part of the conference on March 9, held at the Great Hall of the University of Latvia, 19 Raiņa Boulevard, Riga, at 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. To apply, interested parties are invited to register: ej.uz/konference_9_marts Each registered participant who will attend the conference in person will be receiving an electronic certificate of participation.

The expert report will be covering a very wide area. The expertise of the project is divided into three areas – cancer screening, cancer registration, and creation of comprehensive cancer centers and cancer care network. However, the report will also include recommendations, which, if implemented, would lead to a better progress in future, such as modern diagnostics, molecular councils and other related processes.

Publicity photo: Co-chairman of the project prof. Mārcis Leja

"It is of great importance that, in our opinion, the world's best experts with relevant experience, knowledge and opinion are involved in the working groups. In this case, it will be an opportunity to exchange opinions, not only with specialists and public officials, but also with representatives of society and patients who were not present during the project implementation process," emphasizes Mārcis Leja.

The principal investigator of the project, IARC/WHO scientist Andre Carvalho, Director of Quality and Accreditation – OECI Simon Oberst, Professor of the ERASMUS University Medical Center, an expert in cost-effectiveness modeling of cancer screening Iris Lansdorp-Vogelaar, as well as staff of the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission supporting the project and the Commission Representation in Latvia will participate in the conference.

“The project is a unique partnership between IARC, European Commission’s DG REFORM and the ministries of health of Latvia and Slovakia to fulfil the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan goal of ensuring access to quality assured well organized cancer screening to more than 90% of eligible European populations,” says Dr Andre Carvalho from IARC, principal investigator for the project.

Based on the advice of the international experts, a Project Steering Committee was established. The committee includes the representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia and their subordinate institutions, as well as representatives of patient advocates and other institutions. The steering committee is chaired by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Latvia Līga Meņģelsone.

The project's activities are set in accordance with the strategic policy documents of the European Commission 2021-2027: the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (developed under the supervision of DG SANTE) and the recommendations of the EU Mission on Cancer (developed under the supervision of DG Research & Innovation).

Among the project priorities are such objectives of the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan as to optimize existing screening programs, to develop new approaches, to create comprehensive cancer centers that must be networked at the European level, to develop a comprehensive cancer infrastructure, and to create and develop a well-functioning cancer registry. The latter was determined a priority in Latvia in 2022.

The project "Improving cancer care coordination and screening in Latvia and Slovakia - ICCCS" implementation in Latvia was initiated by the UL ICPM and has been taking place since the beginning of 2022.  The project is co-led by the Director of UL ICPM, Professor Mārcis Leja and Smart Technology Adviser to the President of Latvia Rolands Lappuķe. The project management model was approved by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Latvia.

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The project is supported by the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI) and implemented in cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM).

A networking event for UL ICPM, GASTRO and RECUH specialists took place

UL ICPM director, prof. Mārcis Leja introducing the project implemented

GASTRO chairman of the boeard presenting their activities in research

On February 28, the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (UL ICPM) in cooperation with the Center for Digestive Diseases GASTRO and the specialists of Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital (RECUH) organized an event to promote cooperation and research among medical workers. Specialists in the medical field met to share current events in various research projects, including the projects implemented by UL ICPM:

The result of the project "Patients-centered SurvivorShip care plan after Cancer treatments based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technologies" – PERSIST,

topicalities of the project “Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication” – EUROHELICAN,

and “Digital Health Literacy for the Hospital of the Future” – Pragma-TIC, supported by the EU programme ERASMUS+, with participation of the RECUH specialists,

as well as other project implemented by the institute.

UL ICPM researcher Dina Bēma presenting PERSIST project

The scientific manager of the PERSIST project, prof. Mārcis Leja and project researcher Dina Bēma shared the achieved project results, including details about the newly developed application for monitoring patients' physical activities and well-being.

Read more about the project and the results: https://projectpersist.com 

Presentation on the project results is available online: https://projectpersist.com/we-persist-the-future-is-in-our-hands/

This project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon 2020” research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 875406

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Today, on Ferbuary 28, a regional research center begins work in Ludza, as part of the project EUROHELICAN. Those patients who have already participated in the GISTAR study, conducted by UL ICPM since 2013, will be re-invited. The operation of the center will be ensured by two qualified nurses in specially separated rooms of the Ludza hospital. After the nurse training, GISTAR former patients will be invited to re-submit analyzes free of charge for their inclusion in the GISTAR database, as well as for determining the patient's health status.

Read more about the GISTAR study: www.gistar.eu

More information about the project EUROHELICAN is available: https://www.kpmi.lu.lv/en-gb/eurohelican

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.

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The Pragma-TIC project consortium is currently actively preparing for the start of the study - development of training programs and materials for improving patients' digital skills with the aim of accelerating their inclusion in the e-medicine system.

Find out more: https://pragma-tic.eu/projet/

The project Pragma-TIC "Digital Health Literacy for the Hospital of the Future” (grant No. 21PCA0019 / 2021-1-BE01-KA220-ADU-000033677) is funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

Research participants have been informed about the results of the PERSIST project

Publicity photo: UL ICPM researcher Dina Bēma presenting the projekt PERSIST results

On February 23, the project “Patients-centered SurvivorShip care plan after Cancer treatments based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technologies” - PERSIST study participants were informed about the study results.

The goal of the PERSIST project, which was supported by the European Union with 5 million euros of funding, was to improve the quality of life of patients after cancer treatment, offering the possibility for doctors to effectively monitor the patient's state of health. By combining the capabilities of big data and artificial intelligence, a new model of aftercare for cancer patients was developed using various technologies, including predictive models and apps. As a result, a new model of cancer care supported by various technological tools such as predictive models and web applications, among others, was created.

Based on artificial intelligence for the capture and standardisation of data for each patient, the system developed by PERSIST partners supports oncologists' decision making for the early detection of cancer recurrence. Project’s objective is based on supporting the best follow-up and intervention strategy, empowering patients to participate in their own care and promoting their emotional health in the fight against the fear of relapse and of not being detected early in primary care or in follow-up with their oncologist. As a result, technologically innovative solutions were presented that would help detect and predict the possible recurrence of the disease in patients who have suffered from colorectal or breast cancer.

During the meeting, the patients received information about the total data obtained from patients in the hospitals of all four member states - Belgium, Spain, Slovenia and Latvia (Riga East Clinical University Hospital). As an example, Belgian patients were mentioned, whose physical activity was on average lower than that of participants from other countries, while Latvian patients rated the experience of recording video diaries in the "mHealth" app developed in the project the lowest in surveys.

PERSIST is a European project that started in 2020. Gradiant has coordinated all the research in which 13 entities from 10 countries have participated: Sergas and Dedalus (Spain); Univerza Mariboru and Univerzitetni Klinicni Center Maribor (Slovenia); Haute Ecole Specialisée De Suisse (Switzerland); Latvijas Universitate (Latvia); Cyberethics Lab (Italy); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (Belgium); Symptoma (Austria); Rubynanomed (Portugal); National Patients' Organization (Bulgaria); and Emoda (Turkey).

In Latvia, the project was led by the director of UL ICPM, the head of the Science Department of Riga East Clinical University Hospital, prof. Mārcis Leja, with the participation of UL ICPM Biobank expert Ilona Aleksandraviča. Surgeons Krista Arcimoviča and Anna Marija Leščinska of the Oncosurgery Clinic of the Oncology Centre of Latvia, Riga East Clinical University Hospital worked with the patients. The project was coordinated by UL ICPM researcher Dina Bēma.

Read more on: https://projectpersist.com 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon 2020” research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 875406

UL researchers and Gradiant offer an innovation against colon and breast cancer relapses

Publicity photo: Latvian representatives during the PERSIST meeting in Madrid

As a result of three years of research in Madrid, Spain, technologically innovative solutions have been presented that would help detect and predict the possible recurrence of the disease in patients who have suffered from colorectal and breast cancer.

In the recently concluded international project "Patients-centered SurvivorShip care plan after Cancer treatments based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technologies" - PERSIST, 166 patients and 32 health specialists were involved in four European hospitals - in Spain, Belgium, Slovenia and also in Latvia, with the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia cooperating with the Riga East Clinical University Hospital. As a result, a new model of cancer care supported by various technological tools such as predictive models and web applications, among others, was created.

The recording of the presentation of the project results can be viewed online: https://projectpersist.com/we-persist-the-future-is-in-our-hands/

The goal of the PERSIST project, which was supported by the European Union with 5 million euros of funding, was to improve the quality of life of patients after cancer treatment, offering the possibility for doctors to effectively monitor the patient's state of health.

By combining the capabilities of big data and artificial intelligence, a new model of aftercare for cancer patients was developed using various technologies, including predictive models and apps. Based on artificial intelligence for the capture and standardisation of data for each patient, the system developed by PERSIST partners supports oncologists' decision making for the early detection of cancer recurrence. Project’s objective is based on supporting the best follow-up and intervention strategy, empowering patients to participate in their own care and promoting their emotional health in the fight against the fear of relapse and of not being detected early in primary care or in follow-up with their oncologist.

The project was led by the Spanish technology company "Gradiant", and 13 partners from 10 European countries participated in it. In Latvia, the project took place by cooperation between the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia and the Oncology Clinic of the Riga East Clinical University Hospital.

As part of the project in Latvia, each of the 46 participants used a smart wristband and a smartphone with the newly developed "mHealth" app.

The devices helped doctors remotely monitor various indicators of patient's emotional and physical health. The system included data from each patient's medical history and real-time data, including metrics such as blood pressure, heart rate, and video recorded by the patient using a mobile application. The obtained data and the possibilities provided by artificial intelligence were used in the further development of the innovative health care support system.

"The PERSIST project has allowed us to have a better understanding of the implications of cancer survival, both for the survivors themselves and for the health system and its professionals. It has also demonstrated how technology can support care models that put the patient at the centre, empower them to actively participate in the process, and allow better monitoring and definition of a personalised clinical strategy for each cancer survivor," explained Alberto Sánchez, head of eHealth at Gradiant and coordinator of PERSIST.

In Latvia, the project was led by the director of UL ICPM, the head of the Science Department of Riga East Clinical University Hospital, prof. Mārcis Leja, with the participation of UL ICPM Biobank expert Ilona Aleksandraviča. Surgeons Krista Arcimoviča and Anna Marija Leščinska of the Oncosurgery Clinic of the Oncology Centre of Latvia, Riga East Clinical University Hospital worked with the patients. The project was coordinated by UL ICPM researcher Dina Bēma.

PERSIST is a European project that started in 2020. Gradiant has coordinated all the research in which 13 entities from 10 countries have participated: Sergas and Dedalus (Spain); Univerza Mariboru and Univerzitetni Klinicni Center Maribor (Slovenia); Haute Ecole Specialisée De Suisse (Switzerland); Latvijas Universitate (Latvia); Cyberethics Lab (Italy); Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège (Belgium); Symptoma (Austria); Rubynanomed (Portugal); National Patients' Organization (Bulgaria); and Emoda (Turkey).

Read more on: https://projectpersist.com 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon 2020” research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 875406

An invitation to submit abstracts for the V World Congress of Latvian Scientists

 

Latvian and Latvian scientists studying or working abroad, PhD students and students are invited to submit their poster papers for presentation at the congress.

Applications can be submitted in Latvian and English or only in English until March 31, 2023 on the "Research Latvia" congress website www.zinatneskongress.lv

Application form https://www.zinatneskongress.lv/stenda-referati

The LUCIA consortium kickoff conference hosted in Haifa

Publicity group photo

At the beginning of February, kickoff conference for LUCIA took place in Israel, Haifa – an international consortium supported by the Horizon Europe Program and headed by the Israel Institute of Technology Technion. The two-day event was attended by sixty experts from all over Europe.

The consortium’s goal is to improve the management of lung cancer from the aspects of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment, notably of lung cancers that are relatively rare. The results of the consortium’s work will be translated into policy recommendations, which will be integrated into the early diagnosis program and into methods for addressing the disease effectively.

Every thirty seconds, someone, somewhere in the world, dies of lung cancer, making this disease the deadliest in terms of the number of lives it claims. The average 5-year survival rate is presently 17% for men and 24% for women. Although smoking is considered a significant risk factor for this disease, lung cancer often also occurs among nonsmokers. Accordingly, the consortium will work on identifying all risk factors and on developing new methods for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the disease.

“The LUCIA Consortium is being launched at the right time, with the right partners,” said the head coordinator, Prof. Hossam Haick at the opening of the conference. “We are fortunate to have many skilled, outstanding partners from a variety of fields, and we will be working together for the next four years, applying a multidisciplinary approach, to further the understanding of the disease and develop methods to prevent, diagnose and treat it more effectively. Our work will not focus exclusively on the medical aspects of lung cancer; rather, we will be assisted by experts on law and ethics and by decision makers to put our findings into effect for the benefit of society as a whole.”

The establishment of the consortium, headed by the Technion, was funded by the EU’s research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, which supports international collaborations expected to deliver practical technological solutions to modern-day challenges, and was awarded 14.6 million euros. LUCIA has 22 members – academic institutions and other entities – all working together to map risk factors for lung cancer while focusing on three aspects: individual risk factors, including lifestyle and exposure to pollutants; external factors, including urban or built-up areas, traffic, climate and socio-economic aspects; and biological reactions, including aging and genetic, epigenetic and metabolic changes. To this end, LUCIA’s experts are working on gaining an understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease, the identification and analysis of relevant data repositories, and other areas. In Latvia, the project is implemented by the scientists of the UL Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, under the scientific guidance of prof. Alvils Krams.

 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe under grant agreement No 101096473.

 

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The number of participants in the GISTAR study has reached 11 000

We are pleased to announce that the number of participants in the GISTAR study, implemented by UL ICPM, has reached 11 000, and currently the number of participants in the research center in Liepāja has just exceeded 630 people.

We kindly thank the participants who have already participated in our research, as well as welcome everyone who wants to participate in the GISTAR study in Liepāja. The GISTAR study is carried out for the early diagnosis of digestive diseases, where the population aged 40-64 has the opportunity to perform free examinations for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

As previously announced, so far the study, conducted in cooperation with the Liepāja Regional Hospital, proves that every fourth resident of the Liepāja region should carefully monitor the health of their digestive tract.

World Cancer Day: “Close the Care Gap”

Every year on February 4, the World Cancer Day, led by Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), is held. By raising worldwide awareness, improving education and catalysing personal, collective and government action, we are all working together to reimagine a world where millions of preventable cancer deaths are saved and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all - no matter who you are or where you live. 

While we live in a time of awe-inspiring advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, many of us who seek cancer care hit barriers at every turn. Income, education, geographical location and discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability and lifestyle are just a few of the factors that can negatively affect care. 

This year's World Cancer Day's theme is “Close the Care Gap”. We celebrate progress in its many forms that enable more people to seek and receive the care they need and deserve.

We celebrate the awareness day together with our projects’ Persist partners noting that every person deserves to have an equal chance of quality healthcare and life.

The PERSIST H2020 project aims to improve the health outcomes and quality of life of breast and colorectal cancer survivors by developing innovative tools based on Big Data and advanced data analytics to support the decision-making of physicians. It will provide evidence base and tools that contribute to optimal follow-up and development of personalized survivorship care plans.

Read more on: https://projectpersist.com 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon 2020” research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 875406

Every fourth resident of Liepāja should carefully monitor the health of their digestive tract

Publicity photo: Toms Grīnbergs, UL Communication department

The GISTAR study, conducted in Liepāja by the University of Latvia Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (UL ICPM) and the Liepāja Regional Hospital proves that every fourth resident of the Liepāja region should carefully monitor the health of their digestive tract.

Of the 584 residents who have participated in the study so far, 119 have been diagnosed with H.pylori, a bacteria promoting development of stomach cancer. In such cases, research participants are prescribed eradication therapy for the mentioned bacteria. For those study participants who are found to have deviations from the norm in their blood or fecal samples, which has been the case in another 30 cases, additional examinations are prescribed - upper endoscopy or colonoscopy.

The statistics of cancer of the digestive system in Latvia, in Europe and throughout the world are increasing every year. Every fourth newly diagnosed cancer develops in the digestive tract. Gastrointestinal tumors are the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer and stomach cancer are the most common tumors of the digestive system. About 1,100 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 700 die from it in Latvia annually. Every year, 500 - 600 inhabitants of Latvia fall ill with stomach cancer, which, compared to the indicators of European Union countries, is one of the highest in relation to the number of inhabitants. Scientists involved in the GISTAR study remind that a  detection of malignant tumors allows for successful treatment, which also significantly increases the survival rate of the patients.

Also currently, the residents of Liepāja and the surrounding area between the ages of 40 and 64 are invited to check upon health of their digestive tract. Free health examinations are held in Liepāja, 23 Jūrmalas Street, every working day from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. More information about the the tests is available on the research website www.gistar.eu, application by phone - 25679868

The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’. The project is co–financed by REACT-EU to mitigate the effects of the pandemic crisis.

International Health Data Innovation Council begins work

After a preliminary preparatory phase, on January 25, 2023, the activity of an international Health Data Innovation Council was launched in the format of a virtual meeting. The council is an informal organization that brings together medical and data specialists, as well as lawyers and ethics experts.

Latvia is represented in the Council by Rolands Lappuķe, Smart Technology Adviser to the President of Latvia, and Mārcis Leja, director of the University of Latvia Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (UL ICPM).

At the meeting, problematic issues in the areas of data exchange and secondary use were brought up. The participants decided to summarize the issues that hinder the development of research in different EU countries. The need for a data pilot project was widely discussed, highlighting the GAIA-X project led by Latvia as a positive example.

A scientific paper on identifying potential volatile biomarkers of gastric cancer has been published

© Photo: Book publishing photo created by Racool_studio - www.freepik.com

A new scientific paper on identifying potential volatile biomarkers of gastric cancer has been published in ‘Diagnostics’:

Identification of Key Volatile Organic Compounds Released by Gastric Tissues as Potential Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Gastric Cancer

Conclusions are that pyridine is found to be the most promising biomarker candidate for detecting gastric cancer. The difference in the volatilomic signatures can be explained by cancer-related changes in the activity of certain enzymes, or pathways. The results of this study confirm that the chemical fingerprint formed by volatiles in gastric tissue is altered by gastric cancer.

The paper was prepared by Pawel Mochalski, along with Daria Ślefarska-Wolak representing Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce Institute of Chemistry, and University of Innsbruck Insitute of Breath Research, Mārcis Leja, representing Digestive Diseases Centre GASTRO and, along with Linda Mežmale, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia and Riga East University Hospital. The publication was also prepared by Veronika Patsko of National Cancer Institute of Ukraine, Clemens Ager and Chris A. Mayhew, representing University of Innsbruck Insitute of Breath Research, Agnieszka Królicka from AGH University of Science and Technology Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics Department of Building Materials Technology, and Gidi Shani and Hossam Haick from Technicon—Israel Institute of Technology Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute Department of Chemical Engineering.

The article is openly accessible on ‘Diagnostics’: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/13/3/335

The international project AIDA will develop an AI diagnostic assistant to help detect lesions before gastric cancer

Publicity photo

On January 12- 13, in Valencia, Spain, an international, multicentre project to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based diagnostic assistant to help researchers, doctors and patients understand, diagnose and treat chronic gastric inflammation, which often precedes gastric cancer started.

The project, called AIDA (An Artificially Intelligent Diagnostic Assistant for gastric inflammation), launched this January and held its kick-off meeting at INCLIVA, has a four-year duration and is supported by over 7 million euros between European and British funding.

The project is coordinated by INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute. The project consortium comprises 15 centres of excellence from eight European countries, including the Latvian University Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine. The consortium brings together a multidisciplinary team including some of the leading European authorities on gastric inflammation and cancer (areas of epidemiology, immunology, oncology, pathology and gastroenterology), experts in bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning and in data governance and privacy, representatives of the public administration and patient advocates.

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer type and the third leading cause of cancer death in the world in both sexes. It affects almost one million people, and to date no strategy has improved the prognosis of the disease. It causes 783,000 deaths a year, and the survival rate for patients at an advanced stage is only about 12 months.

Despite current multimodal treatments including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to improve loco-regional control and reduce the rate of tumour dissemination, progress is still limited, and more action is needed in primary and secondary prevention.

Most cases of gastric cancer are detected at late stage, so diagnosing those at risk of developing gastric cancer in the presymptomatic stage could significantly improve their prognosis. A wealth of data is available on the risk factors for developing gastric cancer. Individually, none are supported by robust evidence, but combining and correlating them will provide a much clearer picture.

AIDA: an assistant to guide strategies for gastric cancer prevention

The AIDA project goal is to create an AI-powered tool to help clinicians diagnose precancerous inflammation, provide personalized medical follow-up, recommend action to monitor patients’ health status, and select treatment. AIDA will pool together data from different sectors, including research and innovation centres, clinical partners, industry and patients, while adhering to European data protection law.

AIDA is one of 13 European projects to obtain funding through the Horizon Europe program in the HORIZON-HLTH-2022-STAYHLTH-02-01 call for proposals, having been selected from among the 72 proposals submitted within the health cluster. Horizon Europe is the largest research and innovation program in the European Union and carries out a thorough evaluation of all submitted proposals before granting funds.

 

Funded by the European Union (grant number 101095359) and supported by the UK Research and Innovation (grant number 10058099). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The International Scientific Conference on Medicine accepts the abstracts until 22nd January

Following a request of participants, the 81st International Scientific Conference on Medicine will accept the abstarst up until 22nd January 2023.

The International Scientific Conference on Medicine is the largest section of the UL conference and will be held online on 24-25 March 2023. The event will cover a variety of disciplines in clinical and research medicine, pharmacy, nursing and public health.

Abstracts are welcome from both seasoned and young researchers (also students). In the spirit to foster international collaboration, participation is free of charge.

Find out more and submit the abstracts on: conferences.lu.lv/e/medicine2023