•    Department of Engineering and Architecture – Prof.ssa Giuseppina Scavuzzo
•    Call: Interreg VI-A Italia- Austria 2021/2027
•    CUP: J93C23001580002  
•    Project Coordinator: Libera Università di Bolzano
•    UniTS financing: 244.020 €

Abstract: The aim of the BeSENSHome project is to study and implement the implementation and development of innovative advanced systems and smart sensor networks to ensure environmental comfort within residences, day care centres, workplaces and facilities accommodating people with neurocognitive disabilities. In order to achieve this innovative goal, such systems must allow for (i) accurate customisation based on the needs of the occupants, defining a strategy that puts individuals at the centre, and (ii) control of the built environment.Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), coupled with the sensor network, the environment will be able to learn the preferences or requirements of the occupant, identifying stressful conditions, adjusting environmental conditions and alerting possible caregivers in case their intervention is needed, before any potentially dangerous conditions can occur. The integration of such a sensor network with the furniture of the rooms will be architecturally detailed to ensure its inclusion in existing environments. To achieve these objectives and make the system as useful and user-friendly as possible, a participatory research approach will be applied throughout the project. 

•    Department of Life Sciences - prof.ssa Bruna Scaggiante
•    Call: Interreg VI-A Italia- Austria 2021/2027
•    CUP: J93C24002020006  
•    Project Coordinator: G.A.L. Prealpi e Dolomiti
•    UniTS financing: 109.509,20 €

Abstract: CONNATURALP is an innovative project to promote an integrated approach to protecting and improving the health of ecosystems and people, with the aim of developing useful strategies for the protection of both. The project aims to explore the links between nature, human health and biodiversity in the Alpine region. Through the One Health approach and a multidisciplinary partnership, CONNATURALP aims to improve the understanding of the relationships between ecosystem health, biodiversity and human health through the use of nature-based therapies (NbTs).
The objectives are: i) identify specific parameters to measure the health of ecosystems and the ecological footprint that NbTs have on biodiversity; ii) to develop and implement clinical protocols to evaluate the effects of NbTs on vulnerable target groups; (iii) to create a common protocol for the implementation of NbTs; iv) analyze the pro-environmental behaviors of patients and citizens who frequent parks and biosphere reserves. Through information activities aimed at the territory, recommendations will be provided on policies for the improvement of biodiversity and human health.

•    Clinical Department for Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences – Prof.ssa Serena Bonin
•    Call: Interreg VI-A Italia- Austria 2021/2027
•    CUP: J93C26000200007  
•    Project Coordinator: Università degli Studi di Trieste
•    UniTS financing: 262.892,50 €

Abstract: Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer with a higher incidence in certain cross-border areas between Italy and Austria, as highlighted by the MEMS project (ITAT1018). According to ESMO guidelines, immunotherapy with anti-PD1 drugs is recommended to reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with operable advanced melanoma (stage IIb, IIc, III and IV), both after surgery (adjuvant treatment) and before (neoadjuvant treatment), to shrink the tumor and allow for less invasive surgery. However, immunotherapy can cause serious side effects, as the immune system may attack healthy tissues, regardless of the patient’s response to treatment. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers usable to predict who will benefit from the therapy, leading to patient discomfort and increased healthcare costs. This project, in collaboration with dermatology centers, university research laboratories, and an SME, aims to identify predictive and monitoring biomarkers based on microRNAs contained in exosomes, extracted from liquid biopsies (blood and urine), and to validate them on samples collected during the project, to develop an analytical pipeline with potential for commercial translation.

•    Department of Life Sciences – Prof. Stefan Schoeftner
•    Call: Interreg VI-A Italia- Austria 2021/2027
•    CUP: J93C26000170003  
•    Project Coordinator: Università degli Studi di Trieste
•    UniTS financing: 510.710,50 €

Abstract: Cancer remains a major health challenge in Europe, including Friuli Venezia Giulia and Austria. Developing effective therapies that reduce the socioeconomic burden of current treatments is a key priority. Many solid tumors resist standard therapies due to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The Fasting-Mimicking Diet (FMD), which simulates fasting, shows promise by metabolically stressing tumor cells while protecting healthy ones. First clinical studies confirm its safety and potential, especially when combined with conventional therapies, improving patient outcomes.
NuCaT will enhance collaboration between Italian and Austrian institutions in genetics, clinical research, and biotechnology by establishing a shared platform for FMD-based nutritional cancer therapy. The platform will monitor molecular and cellular responses to FMDs, validate therapeutic impact, and identify biomarkers and strategies targeting FMD-induced tumor vulnerabilities. This will accelerate the integration of nutritional approaches into cancer treatment. 

•    Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences - prof.ssa Fulvia Felluga
•    Call: Interreg VI-A Italia- Austria 2021/2027
•    CUP: J95E23000200007 
•    Project Coordinator: Università di Udine – Dipartimento di Area Medica
•    UniTS financing: 156.010,2 €

Abstract: Aging is a characteristic process for each individual, governed by the genetic but also behavioral profile (physical activity, diet, and social relationships) that influences the epigenetic framework. Underlying aging is cellular senescence, which is a state of permanent arrest of cell proliferation with loss of regenerative capacity, with accumulation of senescent cells in the body, progressive fibrosis of tissues and loss of their functionality. Particularly critical is the senescence of immune cells (immunosenescence) which results in a progressive decline of the immune response thus making older people much more defenseless against infection by pathogens or the growth of neoplasms.
The overall goal of the SENECA project is to strengthen research and innovation expertise in the field of cellular senescence and immunosenescence in the cross-border territories of Friuli Venezia Giulia and 'Alto-Adige, territories where population aging presents itself as a crucial challenge. In Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) the population older than 65 years is 26.2 percent while, the population older than 75 years is 13.8 percent (ISTAT 2019), both higher than the national average. In Alto-Adige, the population older than 65 years accounted for 19.7 percent in 2019, with the population between 40 and 60 years of age at 35.7 percent, indicating that similar parameters are soon to be reached in FVG.
The scope of scientific investigation of the SENECA project, with involvement of a network of research institutes collaborating with integrated and multidisciplinary approaches, will concern the understanding of epigenetic changes related to aging. The activity will focus on the analysis of next-generation sequencing data, the generation of in vitro disease models cropped from patients, and the development of novel compounds with cellular rejuvenating therapeutic activity.
The goal of the project is to understand and pharmacologically interfere with the cellular aging process, in the context of neoplastic disease. The selected model is colorectal cancer (CRC), a disease that, due to lifestyles and genetic profiles, is of high relevance for the territories targeted by the intervention. For example, in FVG in 2020 CRC diagnoses accounted for 11.3% in men and 10.6% in women of new cases. Although early screening actions have lowered mortality, in about 40-45% of patients it is still the cause of death. SENECA will allow the development of new in vitro pathology-patient models to understand the role of immunosenescence and the development of new compounds with senolytic activity to develop cell rejuvenating therapies.
A multidisciplinary approach will be used first and foremost, drawing on the specific expertise of the different Partners: epigenetics of senescence, bioinformatics analysis, in vivo organoid models, organic synthesis of new compounds, and immune cells. In order to understand the aging process, the project will use in vitro models of cellular senescence, which will allow tracing the complex epigenetic modifications underlying the process, using innovative next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques such as Hi-C that allows obtaining 3D maps of our genome and placing the most important senescence-related epigenetic modifications in the correct context. These approaches will be linked to the acquisition of new bioinformatics skills for the analysis of complex data. 

•    Department of Life Sciences - prof. Alessandro Tossi
•    Call: Interreg VI-A Italia- Austria 2021/2027
•    CUP: J93C23001530007  
•    Project Coordinator: Fondazione de Claricini Dornpacher
•    UniTS financing: 120.204 €

Abstract: The project aims at supporting the concrete transfer of innovation to the agricultural and industrial cross-border sectors related to cultivation and diverse sustainable applications related to hemp and hemp by-products, reinforcing smart specialization niches that are common interests for both Italian and Austrian regions involved in the project. Project partners will facilitate the adoption of circular processes and the development of new business models in the Programme area, strengthening technological leadership in strategic value chains bringing together agriculture, industry and services sectors to generate added value and sustainable growth.