hope4PMOS
EU-funded public-private research collaboration to empower women living with polyendrocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) and innovate treatment of PMOS for a better quality of life.
hope4PMOS’ ambition:
-
Improving the clinical follow-up of women living with PMOS through biomarker discovery and improved diagnostics
-
Delivering novel enabling technologies for a better understanding of the pathophysiology and therapeutic discovery
-
Discovering novel efficient and life changing treatment strategies
-
Empowering women living with PMOS improving their quality of life
To meet this ambition, hope4PMOS elaborates on
A holistic patient-centric approach
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) is a chronic disease typically involving ovulatory dysfunction and excessive levels of male hormones (androgens). Recognized as a highly common endocrine disorder, PMOS is already affecting around 10% of women of reproductive age in the world.
Driven by the challenges of PMOS
Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) affects globally more than 170 million women of reproductive age and is now recognized as a complex, multi-system disorder rather than solely a reproductive condition.
Beyond irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, acne and excess hair growth, many women experience insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, obesity, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and pregnancy complications. PMOS is particular challenging as it is also associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression. Ultimately affecting all aspects of life in women living with PMOS. Its highly variable symptoms, unclear underlying causes, and lack of curative treatments often lead to significantly delayed diagnosis, stigma, and dissatisfaction with care.
Diagnosis frequently coincides with involuntary childlessness contributing to under recognition and delayed diagnosis in young women and adolescents. These challenges highlight the urgent need for earlier detection, improved understanding of disease mechanisms, and more effective, patient-centered, non-hormonal treatment options. By “Harnessing biobanking, Organ models and Patient Empowerment for a better quality of life for women living with Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome”, hope4PMOS is driving the search for better treatments, earlier diagnosis, and an improved quality of life for women living with PMOS.
There is a need of non-hormonal treatments targeting the root cause of the disease. Ideally, such treatment should restore physiological androgen levels, normalize the menstrual cycle, and improve cardiometabolic symptoms.
The hope4PMOS approach is a holistic, interdisciplinary, and patient-centered strategy that combines scientific excellence with societal impact to improve the quality of life of women living with PMOS.
Scientific discovery and innovation
hope4PMOS advances our understanding of PMOS by integrating expertise and technologies across diverse disciplines:
-
Molecular biology
-
Omics and single-cell analyses
-
Endocrinology and reproductive medicine
-
Human relevant organ and disease modeling (microphysiological organ on chip systems and organoids)
-
Biomarker discovery
-
Digital health and data science
Applying these disciplines, new insights into PMOS pathophysiology are delivered, diagnostic and therapy-stratifying biomarkers are identified, creating foundations for future personalized treatments and therapeutic discovery.
Advanced biobanking and research infrastructure
A cornerstone of the approach is the creation of a first-in-kind complex multi-organ PMOS biobank, comprising:
-
Clinical samples (blood, tissues, follicular fluid), primary biobank
-
Build and biobank advanced innovative 3D disease models.
-
Associated clinical and digital data
Unlike current disease animal models, hope4PMOS’s toolbox is purely based on human tissue therefore faithfully recapitulating the complex condition and enables long-term, high-quality translational research.
Patient engagement and digital health
Through our patient centered approach, patients are active participants rather than passive subjects:
-
Recruitment into clinical studies and biobanking
-
Continuous clinical follow-up
-
Implementation of PMOS in the Hello Lucy mobile app to:
-
Collect longitudinal patient-reported data
-
Develop digital biomarkers
-
Empower self-management
-
Encourage seeking access to medical support
-
Translational research pipeline
Beyond understanding the complexity of PMOS, hope4PMOS translates the acquired knowledge into novel treatment strategies for PMOS.
-
Identify biological mechanisms and disease pathways.
-
Discover and validate biomarkers.
-
Identify druggable targets.
-
Create assets and assays for future therapeutic development.
Societal impact and awareness
Beyond scientific research, hope4PMOS addresses broader societal challenges associated with PMOS by:
-
Raising awareness and improving knowledge of PMOS
-
Addressing stigma associated with symptoms
-
Improving access to care
-
Providing educational resources
-
Supporting informed decision-making among patients and families
hope4PMOS in numbers
0
partners
0
countries
0
years duration
WP1
WP1 will establish protocols for biobanking of PCOS patient multi-organ samples, focused at two clinical centers in Leuven (Belgium) and Tübingen (Germany). While relevant clinical samples have been collected from patients at their fertility clinics, hope4PMOS will explore novel approaches for obtaining human cells and tissues from PMOS patients, to be used for immune cell landscaping to identify potential immune biomarkers, and for development of advanced and highly relevant 3D organ models of PMOS covering the most relevant affected organs such as the neuroendocrine axis, reproductive tract and adipose tissue.