Towards precision prevention and early therapy for RA

Important results from the project

PrecisionPrevent developed a new care pathway for ´risk RA´ and integrated the Rheumatic? screening tool into Region Stockholm’s EHR system. The tool was aligned with international versions and tested for arthritis prediction. Extensive serology testing identified a novel biomarker for disease both in the ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative populations of RA patients. Our solutions have made it possible to identify individuals at high risk for RA and thereby the development of precision prevention.

Expected long term effects

The project is expected to lead to both prevention and improved early diagnosis of RA. Earlier diagnosis is important since it leads to reduced disease progression, enhancing patients’ quality of life and contributing to more efficient use of healthcare resources. However, prevention is the preferred approach for chronic diseases, and with the help of Vinnova we have established a prototype for prevention of an inflammatory disease that is now being further developed in new collaborations.

Approach and implementation

The project was carried out as a close collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, Region Stockholm, Elsa Science, ThermoFisher, and Uppsala University. We developed and tested digital tools and algorithms for RA prediction, integrated them into EHRs, and conducted clinical studies and extensive biomarker analyses. National and international collaborations were established to validate the results and implement the tools, as well as to ensure the sustainability after the end of PrecisionPrevent.