€26 Million for Osteoarthritis Research
The Department of General Practice at Erasmus MC will lead a major international osteoarthritis study over the next five years. The initiative is part of the PROBE consortium, which has secured €26 million in European funding.
PROBE brings together 38 international partners with one shared ambition: improving the lives of more than 500 million people worldwide living with osteoarthritis. By combining large-scale datasets and applying advanced AI technologies, the consortium aims to significantly improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this common joint disease.
General Practice in the Lead
The Department of General Practice co-leads the consortium together with pharmaceutical company Novartis. Three additional Erasmus MC departments are involved: Medical Informatics, Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, and Internal Medicine.
Data from Over 70 Million Individuals
Researchers Sita Bierma-Zeinstra, Marienke van Middelkoop and Jos Runhaar are contributing from General Practice. Sita Bierma-Zeinstra explains:
“Within PROBE, data from more than 70 million individuals will be analysed. Using AI, we can examine these large datasets to better predict how osteoarthritis progresses and determine which treatment is most suitable for each individual patient.”
The collaboration will also improve how researchers measure the effects of treatments that aim to slow down disease progression. Because osteoarthritis typically develops slowly, current studies often require long follow-up periods and large patient populations to demonstrate effectiveness. “By combining data intelligently, the consortium can make this process more efficient,” Sita adds.
Addressing Key Challenges in Osteoarthritis Research
PROBE tackles major bottlenecks in current osteoarthritis research, including fragmented datasets, outdated study designs and large variations in how the disease manifests across patients.
With its strong international collaboration and data-driven approach, PROBE aims to accelerate progress toward more personalised and effective osteoarthritis care.
“By integrating extensive datasets within the consortium, we can better understand the heterogeneity of osteoarthritis and gain clearer insight into differences between patients.”
The team involved in the PROBE consortium. From left to right: Inga Bos, Sita Bierma-Zeinstra, Jos Runhaar, Edwin Oei, Joyce van Meurs and Marienke van Middelkoop.
Connected to Flagship Healthy Joints
The PROBE consortium is closely linked to Flagship Healthy Joints, one of the Convergence Health & Technology Flagships. Healthy Joints focuses on advancing osteoarthritis research through interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and data-driven approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
For more information about Flagship Healthy Joints, please visit the Healthy Joints programme page on the Convergence website.