On 21 and 22 October two highly engaging events addressing the Virtual Human Twins domain were held. Talks and panels ranged from institutional and regulatory insights to technical perspectives and concrete ongoing projects.

• 21 October: European Virtual Human Twins (VHT) Initiative: Accelerating innovation and making personalised medicine a reality through virtual human twins
• 22 October: EU-funded research on Virtual Human Twins (VHTs): fostering collaboration to accelerate innovation

21/10 European Virtual Human Twins (VHT) Initiative: Accelerating innovation and making personalised medicine a reality through virtual human twins

The European Virtual Human Twins (VHT) Initiative event addressed the accelerating innovation and advancing personalized medicine through the use of virtual human models. Launched in December 2023, the initiative aims to strengthen healthcare by combining AI, health data infrastructures, and supercomputing capacity, in line with European Commission priorities, such as the AI Continent Action Plan and the Apply AI and Life Sciences Strategies.

The event centred on advancing the adoption of Virtual Human Twins (VHTs) in clinical practice. VHTs have the potential to revolutionize healthcare by simulating treatments, predicting disease outcomes, and reducing reliance on traditional clinical trials. They offer new possibilities for early diagnosis, personalized treatments, and preventative care, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs, especially in the context of multimorbidity.

High-level contributions were delivered by representatives across various sectors, including the European Commission (DG CNECT, DG SANTE, DG RTD), public health organizations, and leading academic institutions, pointing out crucial themes like the importance of data quality, patient trust, and ethical considerations for the successful development and deployment of VHT technologies in the healthcare system. They also discussed challenges and opportunities in foundational research, the need for transparent and trustworthy systems, as well as the integration of VHTs into the European Health Data Space and other health data infrastructures to ensure the accuracy and security of data used in developing these digital models.

Looking ahead, the VHT initiative could transform personalised medicine and help build a more efficient, patient-centred system. As underlined during the day, capacity building is vital—enabling both patients and clinicians to use these tools effectively. The European Commission reaffirmed its support through new regulations and continuous guidance.

22/10 EU-funded research on Virtual Human Twins (VHTs): fostering collaboration to accelerate innovation

This event convened major EU-funded research initiatives focused on Virtual Human Twins (VHTs), including Horizon Europe projects on VHTs for personalized disease management and Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) projects. It offered a platform to align current work with the strategic goals outlined in the EDITH Roadmap and lay the foundation for collaboration in the development of the upcoming Advanced VHT Platform.

Event plan

Several projects were invited to share their progress, objectives, insights, and achievements to date:

• GEMINI develops multiscale digital twins for ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke patients, aiming to create validated computational models to improve treatment and understand stroke mechanisms. It focuses on personalizing digital twins and integrating these models into clinical systems for wider application.
• DIGIPREDICT has developed a Digital Twin platform to model individual pathophysiology and predict the progression of viral diseases and their cardiovascular effects. It uses real-time data from wearable biosensors, AI for improved predictions, and incorporates innovative systems like Vasculature-on-Chip and Heart-on-Chip for enhanced accuracy.
• TARGET develops health virtual twins to enhance AF-related stroke prevention and rehabilitation. It uses predictive AI models to identify stroke risks, support recovery, and improve physical and cognitive outcomes. Initially targeting the heart, it will expand to other organs, using real-time data for personalized treatment and prevention. TARGET is also building a digital community of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals to improve care and collaborates with the MAESTRIA project to accelerate innovation in stroke management.
• dAIbetes aspires to revolutionize Type 2 Diabetes treatment through personalized predictive models, reducing prediction errors by at least 10%. It uses data from 800,000 patients and advanced AI techniques to create virtual twin models for better treatment outcomes.
• ARTEMIS focuses on advancing understanding of Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) and its cardiac complications. It integrates multi-organ models, including the heart and circulation systems, and aims to bring Virtual Health Twins (VHTs) closer to clinical practice with AI-driven clinical validation.
• TETRIS develops personalized risk scores from clinical, genetic, and imaging data to predict and mitigate long-term cardiac, pulmonary, and secondary-tumour risks after radiotherapy. It also designs and tests digital-twin simulations to model patient trajectories, supporting more precise treatment decisions and follow-up.
• STRATUM is working on a 3D decision support tool to assist surgeons during brain tumour surgeries. It provides real-time, data-driven insights to improve surgical decisions and patient outcomes, with future plans for clinical validation.
• DTRIP4H is creating a decentralized Digital Twin ecosystem to connect European research infrastructures for advanced health innovation. It integrates real and synthetic data to enhance research in cancer, drug discovery, and precision medicine, while focusing on ethical standards and AI-enhanced models.
• CERTAINTY focuses on creating virtual patient twins to personalize adoptive cellular immunotherapies for cancer. By combining in silico, real-world, and in vitro data, it aims to optimize treatment responses and improve patient-specific outcomes in cancer therapies.

These initiatives reflect a broader shift toward Digital Twin and AI technologies to enhance personalized healthcare across multiple fields, including diabetes management, cancer treatment, stroke care, and beyond. Their impact and success will be determined by the integration of diverse datasets, AI-driven models, and the continuous evolution of these systems to meet clinical needs and improve patient outcomes.

Overall, the two events offered a clear view of the rapidly evolving VHT landscape and deepened understanding of the transformative benefits this technology can bring to the future of healthcare.