Seventh ENDOTARGET Consortium Meeting: Bringing Research Together
In May 2026, the ENDOTARGET consortium gathered in Vienna, Austria, for its seventh biannual meeting, hosted by TU Wien. Over three days, project partners from across Europe came together to discuss scientific progress, exchange ideas, and coordinate the final phase of the project.
The meeting combined online and in-person sessions and reflected what ENDOTARGET has always been about: bringing together different disciplines and perspectives to better understand chronic inflammation and the gut–joint axis in rheumatic diseases.
Set against the backdrop of Vienna’s historic city centre, the meeting offered not only an opportunity to review results, but also a chance for researchers, clinicians, and technical experts to reconnect, discuss challenges, and shape the next steps of the project together.
Day 1: Starting with Coordination and Communication
The meeting began online on Monday, 4th of May, with sessions dedicated to the project’s non-scientific work packages.
First, EBRIS presented updates from WP6 on ethics and data governance. As ENDOTARGET involves clinical studies, patient data, and advanced biological analyses, ensuring compliance with ethical and legal standards remains an essential part of the project.
This was followed by WP7, led by SEZ, which focused on dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities. Partners reviewed recent outreach activities, including publications, webinars, blog articles, conference participation, and social media campaigns. Upcoming milestones were also discussed, including ENDOTARGET’s final event session planned for EORS 2026 and future exploitation activities for key project results.
Finally, WP8, coordinated by HUS, provided updates on project management, finances, and planning for the final reporting period.
Although these sessions were less technical than the scientific programme, they highlighted the amount of coordination required to keep a large European research project running smoothly.
Day 2: Scientific Sessions Begin at TU Wien
The in-person programme started on Thursday, 7th of May. Kari Eklund (HUS) and Martin Frauenlob (TU Wien) welcomed the consortium and opened the scientific sessions.
The first presentations focused on WP1 and the project’s population cohort studies. Researchers shared updates on ongoing analyses of patient data that will contribute to the AI modelling activities in WP5. A particular highlight came from SERGAS/FIDIS, which presented plans for proteomic analyses aimed at identifying protein biomarkers linked to disease mechanisms and clinical stratification. Researchers from UTARTU also shared results from genome-wide association studies. After a coffee break, attention shifted to WP2, coordinated by UNICAM. The team presented progress from focused cohort and in vitro studies investigating gut permeability, endotoxemia, and microbiome-related mechanisms in rheumatic diseases. One important milestone was the generation of the project’s first bulk RNA sequencing and metagenomic datasets from ileal samples collected from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and healthy controls. Once fully analysed, these datasets are expected to provide valuable insight into tissue-level gene expression and microbiota composition. Researchers from UH then presented studies investigating the inflammatory effects of bacterial compounds. The presentations sparked lively discussions across the room, especially around the growing complexity of microbiome research and how these findings might translate into future therapies or prevention strategies.
The consortium then enjoyed a working lunch, offering an informal space to continue discussions and foster new collaborations across work packages. The afternoon sessions focused on WP4, where several clinically oriented studies and translational activities were presented. SERGAS/FIDIS provided updates on ongoing drug repurposing efforts, and researchers from UH shared the latest developments from the FMT trial, a placebo-controlled and randomised fecal microbiota transplantation study in patients with spondyloarthritis. Afterwards, GIMM presented progress from the TASTY study, where patient recruitment and evaluation have also been completed. The second day concluded with dedicated meetings of the Ethical Board and the Clinical Board. These sessions focused on ensuring that scientific progress remains aligned with clinical realities, patient needs, and ethical principles.
Day 3: Integration, Modelling, and the Road Ahead
The final meeting day, Friday, 8th of May, opened with welcoming remarks from HUS and TU Wien, followed by the consortium’s General Assembly. As ENDOTARGET is in its final reporting period, the discussions increasingly focused on integration, synthesis, and future directions.
During the following WP3 sessions, partners presented updates from proof-of-concept studies, esp. the animal studies investigating the effects of systemic and intra-articular LPS exposure on joint tissues. After a coffee break, SIB presented major updates from WP5, focusing on multi-omics integration and AI-based prediction tools. This work forms one of the scientific cornerstones of ENDOTARGET. By integrating genomic, proteomic, microbiome, and clinical datasets, the consortium aims to develop predictive models capable of identifying drivers of chronic inflammation and disease transition.
Looking Ahead
The Vienna meeting concluded with collaborative discussions on future publications, data sharing, and final project activities. Despite the ambitious workload ahead, the atmosphere remained highly positive and forward-looking. The meeting clearly demonstrated how far ENDOTARGET has progressed since its launch. What began as a multidisciplinary effort to better understand chronic inflammation has evolved into a highly integrated research ecosystem spanning microbiome science, rheumatology, systems biology, clinical trials, and advanced modelling approaches.
A heartfelt thank-you goes to the team at TU Wien for their excellent organisation and warm hospitality, and to all consortium partners whose dedication continues to drive ENDOTARGET forward.
The consortium now looks ahead to its final gathering in Finland at the end of 2026!
For more information on the results, see our
- Publications & Deliverables: Publication – ENDOTARGET
- 7th Press Release: Communication Material – ENDOTARGET
