How the EPMA World Congress 2015 Paved the Way for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine
Imagine a world where your doctor could predict your health risks years before symptoms appear, prevent diseases through targeted strategies tailored to your unique biology, and treat any emerging conditions with therapies designed specifically for you. This isn't science fiction—it's the groundbreaking vision of Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (PPPM) that took center stage at the EPMA World Congress 2015 in Bonn, Germany.
The PPPM approach could potentially save healthcare systems billions while dramatically improving patient outcomes 1 .
This gathering of pioneering researchers and healthcare professionals represented a paradigm shift in medical thinking. Rather than the traditional "wait-and-treat" approach that dominates healthcare systems worldwide, they championed a proactive model. The research presented here didn't just offer incremental improvements—it proposed a fundamental rethinking of how we approach health and disease, with implications for every one of us.
Predictive medicine focuses on identifying individual health risks long before clinical symptoms manifest. Through advanced diagnostic tools including molecular profiling, genetic analysis, and sophisticated imaging techniques, doctors can now detect subtle biomarkers that signal future disease susceptibility.
At the congress, several presentations highlighted innovative predictive approaches, such as identifying Flammer Syndrome—a specific phenotype characterized by altered blood vessel regulation that predisposes individuals to conditions like glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and even aggressive breast cancer 2 .
Armed with predictive information, preventive medicine becomes highly specific and effective. Rather than applying one-size-fits-all recommendations, PPPM enables tailored prevention strategies based on an individual's unique risk profile.
Research presented at the congress demonstrated how this approach could revolutionize management of common conditions like diabetes mellitus, where specific dietary interventions based on individual metabolic profiles showed significantly better outcomes than generic advice 1 .
When disease does occur, personalised medicine ensures treatments are specifically matched to the individual's genetic makeup, lifestyle, and disease characteristics.
The congress highlighted remarkable advances in this area, including how radioembolisation (a targeted radiation therapy for liver cancer) could be optimized based on individual patient profiles to maximize effectiveness while minimizing side effects 3 .
| Aspect | Traditional Medicine | PPPM Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Reactive (after symptoms appear) | Proactive (before symptoms develop) |
| Prevention | One-size-fits-all recommendations | Targeted based on individual risk profiles |
| Treatment | Trial-and-error, population-based | Personalised based on individual characteristics |
| Diagnostics | Focused on established disease | Predictive risk assessment using biomarkers |
| Patient role | Passive recipient of care | Active participant in health management |
The EPMA Congress served as a showcase for cutting-edge research across multiple medical specialties, all unified by the PPPM approach:
Several studies focused on improving outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fifth most common cancer worldwide. One promising approach involved using multi-level diagnostic panels to determine which patients would best respond to radioembolisation therapy—moving beyond the current "treat and wait" approach to a more targeted strategy 1 3 .
Research presented revealed how specific diets tailored to individual patients could dramatically improve glycemic control in Type 2 diabetes. By analyzing saliva and gut microbiome profiles, researchers could design personalized nutrition plans that achieved better results than standard dietary recommendations 1 .
The congress featured novel approaches in cardiovascular medicine, including the development of gold nanoparticles for drug delivery in heart failure treatment, representing a theranostic (combined therapy and diagnosis) potential for PPPM cardiology 1 .
Ukrainian researchers shared challenging experiences from hybrid war situations, proposing updated algorithms for personalized care and early prevention of different military injuries—demonstrating PPPM's relevance in crisis situations 1 .
Targeted cancer therapies
Personalized nutrition plans
Nanoparticle drug delivery
Early detection of disorders
One of the most compelling studies presented at the congress came from researchers exploring a non-invasive method for predicting dental caries (cavities) risk using saliva analysis. This experiment perfectly embodied the PPPM approach—using easily obtainable biological samples to predict future disease and enable targeted prevention.
The research team recruited twenty participants aged 22-28, divided into two groups: one with healthy, caries-free teeth, and another with multiple caries lesions. The study design maintained rigorous controls—all participants were non-smokers, avoided alcohol before testing, and hadn't taken medications that could interfere with results .
The findings revealed striking differences in the molecular composition of saliva between healthy participants and those with multiple caries. The analysis detected a significant shift in the organic-mineral balance in the saliva of caries-prone individuals.
Perhaps most remarkably, the research discovered that thiocyanate content increased more than twofold in the saliva of those with multiple caries, along with elevated levels of carboxyl groups from esters, lipids, and carbohydrates. These consistent changes created a identifiable molecular "fingerprint" of caries risk that could be detected before extensive damage occurs .
"Saliva represents one of the most informative fluids for human diseases"—containing proteins, lipids, immunoglobulins, enzymes and various metabolites that can serve as markers for numerous pathologies.
| Biomarker | Change in Caries Group | Scientific Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Thiocyanate levels | More than 2-fold increase | Indicates possible inflammatory processes and microbial activity |
| Mineral complexes | Significant decrease | Suggests impaired remineralization capacity of teeth |
| Organic components | Notable increase | Reflects changes in protein and metabolic profile |
| Carboxyl groups of esters, lipids, carbohydrates | Elevated | May indicate altered microbial metabolism in oral cavity |
This experiment demonstrated that simple saliva tests could identify individuals at high risk for developing cavities long before damage becomes visible—the ultimate predictive tool. Dentists could use such tests to implement intensive preventive strategies for high-risk patients while avoiding unnecessary interventions for those at low risk .
The pioneering research presented at the EPMA Congress relied on sophisticated tools and technologies that enable the precise measurements and analyses required for PPPM.
| Research Tool | Function in PPPM Research | Application Examples |
|---|---|---|
| FTIR Spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation | Identifies molecular composition of biological samples | Saliva analysis for caries prediction |
| Liquid biopsy techniques | Detects circulating tumor DNA and other biomarkers | Monitoring of advanced ALK+ NSCLC for acquired drug resistance 1 |
| Multi-omics platforms | Simultaneous analysis of multiple molecular levels (genome, proteome, etc.) | Setup of predictive biomarker panels for hepatocellular carcinoma 3 |
| Nanoparticle-based contrast agents | Enhances imaging for precise diagnosis | Gold nanoparticles for drug delivery and treatment monitoring in heart failure 1 |
| Molecular pathway analysis | Identifies dysregulated signaling pathways in disease | Detection of shifted detoxification pathways (SOD2/Catalase) in liver cancer 3 |
The development of sophisticated diagnostic tools enables earlier and more accurate detection of diseases, forming the foundation of predictive medicine.
Multi-omics approaches integrate data from genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to create comprehensive patient profiles for personalized care.
The EPMA World Congress 2015 offered more than just isolated research findings—it presented a coherent vision for healthcare's future that is predictive, preventive, and personalized. The evidence presented made a compelling case that this approach could address some of healthcare's most persistent problems: skyrocketing costs, ineffective treatments, and patient frustration.
We're witnessing a crucial paradigm shift from reactive to proactive medicine—a transformation that represents not just scientific progress but a fundamental change in how we conceptualize health and disease 2 .
The research presented in Bonn in 2015 has continued to evolve, with subsequent congresses building on these foundations. What began as specialized research is gradually transforming into clinical practice that could benefit us all. The era of guessing which treatments might work, of discovering diseases only after they've taken hold, and of applying prevention strategies indiscriminately may soon give way to a more enlightened approach—one that predicts, prevents, and personalizes our path to better health.
As we look to the future, the questions become: How quickly can we implement these approaches? And how can we ensure they benefit everyone, not just the wealthy?
The EPMA World Congress 2015 didn't just ask these questions—it began providing the answers that could transform healthcare for generations to come.