Berta Cillero-Pastor receives a grant from NWO and Dutch Arthritis Society

We are happy to announce that Berta Cillero-Pastor received a prestigious grant from NWO and the Dutch Arthritis Society for the project CircBioCare: Circulating epigenetic and protein biomarkers for early OA diagnosis. Among others, she worked closely with Principal Investigator Martijn van Griensven, Postdoc Virginie Joris, and Maastricht UMC. Read more details on the research project below. 

CircBioCare: Circulating epigenetic and protein biomarkers for early OA diagnosis. Osteoarthritis (OA) affects hundreds of millions of people, and its incidence is set to increase due to our aging population. Considering this, the need for early diagnosis has never been greater. In this project, we will develop state-of-the-art methods to detect blood proteins and genetic material associated with the onset of OA in people who are followed over a long period of time until they develop OA. Artificial intelligence, digital PCR and Proximity Extension Assay will be used to design predictive tests. Finally, we will investigate what determines people’s perceptions of healthcare screening to reduce the risk of developing OA.

Budget: €1.475.000,00 euros (incl. €162.000,00 euro co-funding)

Partners: University of Antwerp, Maastricht UMC, Maastricht University, UMC Utrecht, OAFI foundation, INIBIC, RIVM, Rosetta Omics, Agilent, Covaris, Lemba Therapeutics, Qiagen, Olink, and Bruker.