Solve-RD: systematic pan-European data sharing and collaborative analysis to solve rare diseases
Birte Zurek, Kornelia Ellwanger, Lisenka E.L.M. Vissers, Rebecca Schüle, Matthis Synofzik, Ana Töpf, Richarda M. de Voer, Steven Laurie, Leslie Matalonga, Christian Gilissen, Stephan Ossowski, Peter A.C. ’t Hoen, Antonio Vitobello, Julia M. Schulze‐Hentrich, Olaf Rieß, Han G. Brunner, Anthony J. Brookes, Ana Rath, Gisèle Bonne, Gulcin Gumus, Alain Verloès, Nicoline Hoogerbrugge, Teresinha Evangelista, Tina Harmuth, Morris A. Swertz, Dylan Spalding, Alexander Hoischen, Sergi Beltrán, Holm Graeßner, T. Haack, Birte Zurek, Kornelia Ellwanger, German Demidov, Marc Sturm, Christoph Keßler, Melanie Wayand, Carlo Wilke, Andreas Traschütz, Lüdger Schöls, Holger Hengel, Peter Heutink, Han G. Brunner, Hans Scheffer, Wouter Steyaert, Karolis Sablauskas, Richarda M. de Voer, Erik-Jan Kamsteeg, Bart van de Warrenburg, Nienke van Os, Iris te Paske, Erik Janssen, Elke de Boer, Marloes Steehouwer, Burcu Yaldız, Tjitske Kleefstra, Colin Veal, Spencer Gibson, Marc Wadsley, Mehdi Mehtarizadeh, Umar Riaz, Greg Warren, Farid Yavari Dizjikan, Thomas Shorter, Volker Straub, C. Marini Bettolo, Sabine Specht, Jill Clayton‐Smith, Siddharth Banka, Elizabeth Alexander, Adam Jackson, Laurence Faivre, Christel Thauvin, Antonio Vitobello, Anne‐Sophie Denommé‐Pichon, Yannis Duffourd, Émilie Tisserant, Ange‐Line Bruel, Christine Peyron, Aurore Pélissier, Sergi Beltrán, Marta Gut, Steven Laurie, Davide Piscia, Leslie Matalonga, Anastasios Papakonstantinou, Gemma Bullich, Alberto Corvò, Carles García, Marcos Fernandez-Callejo, Carles Hernandéz-Ferrer, Daniel Picó, Ida Paramonov, Hanns Lochmüller, Gulcin Gumus, Virginie Bros‐Facer, Marc Hanauer, Annie Olry, David Lagorce, Svitlana Havrylenko, Katia Izem
Abstract
For the first time in Europe hundreds of rare disease (RD) experts team up to actively share and jointly analyse existing patient's data. Solve-RD is a Horizon 2020-supported EU flagship project bringing together >300 clinicians, scientists, and patient representatives of 51 sites from 15 countries. Solve-RD is built upon a core group of four European Reference Networks (ERNs; ERN-ITHACA, ERN-RND, ERN-Euro NMD, ERN-GENTURIS) which annually see more than 270,000 RD patients with respective pathologies. The main ambition is to solve unsolved rare diseases for which a molecular cause is not yet known. This is achieved through an innovative clinical research environment that introduces novel ways to organise expertise and data. Two major approaches are being pursued (i) massive data re-analysis of >19,000 unsolved rare disease patients and (ii) novel combined -omics approaches. The minimum requirement to be eligible for the analysis activities is an inconclusive exome that can be shared with controlled access. The first preliminary data re-analysis has already diagnosed 255 cases form 8393 exomes/genome datasets. This unprecedented degree of collaboration focused on sharing of data and expertise shall identify many new disease genes and enable diagnosis of many so far undiagnosed patients from all over Europe.