The objectives underlying the nine pearls

"Improving your health by sharing science"

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
To improve treatment possibilities and to prevent new infarctions and haemorrhages for 120,000 patients living with the consequences of a stroke.

Congenital heart disease
To better understand the long-term complications and genetic causes associated with congenital heart defects. An estimated 50,000 people in the Netherlands are living with such a condition, half of them aged over 18.

Diabetes
To improve front-line care in anticipation of a sharp rise in the number of diabetes patients from the current figure of about 600,000.

Hereditary colorectal cancer
To improve prevention, treatment and the quality of care for patients with some form of hereditary colorectal cancer, who currently number approximately 4000.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
To better understand the causes of this group of conditions and the effectiveness of medicines and treatment for 60,000 patients with a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.

Leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma
To facilitate the rapid introduction of new diagnostics, treatments and therapies tailored to the needs of the individual patient, according to the genetic characteristics of their particular tumour. In the Netherlands, about 1500 people a year are diagnosed with leukaemia and more than 1100 die of the condition.

Neurodegenerative diseases
To improve the effectiveness of medical treatments for various forms of dementia and their precursors, for the benefit of the more than 430,000 patients expected by 2050.

Renal failure
To better understand early forms of renal failure, affecting some 1650 patients each year, so as to improve prevention of its end stage and of the associated cardiovascular conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis and arthrosis
To prevent long-term invalidity for the 210,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and arthrosis.