GUARD strengthens rare disease research

Guard (large view)

(27-02-2025) Tomorrow, not coincidentally on Rare Diseases Day, the GUARD consortium is being launched. GUARD stands for Ghent University Action on Rare Diseases and aims to improve research into and treatment of rare diseases.

With the GUARD consortium, Ghent University and the Ghent University Hospital take the lead in research into rare diseases. By bringing experts together, GUARD stimulates innovation in therapies, diagnoses and improved patient care. The ultimate goal is to improve the health and well-being of all rare disease patients. Although all rare diseases are rare in themselves, they collectively affect 8% of the population. In Belgium alone, around 500,000 to 800,000 people suffer from a rare disease.

Addressing challenges multidisciplinary

One of the biggest challenges for scientific research on rare diseases is the scarcity and fragmentation of expertise. There is only a limited pool of specialised knowledge available, which makes it difficult to develop treatments effectively. In addition, there is a lack of awareness among healthcare providers. Many healthcare providers are not familiar with the nuances of rare diseases, which can lead to delays in diagnosis and treatment.

GUARD therefore brings together experts from different faculties, including the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sciences, Bioengineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. This multidisciplinary approach brings together a lot of knowledge on rare diseases and will also lead to new, crucial knowledge to apply in clinical practice. In addition, GUARD also invests in the training and development of young researchers and students.

New members welcome

Currently, 75 researchers have already joined the consortium, but interested parties, from outside the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as well, can still join.

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