The final conference of the European project CONCERTO (CrossbOrder Network for ChildrEn RheumaTolOgy) took place on 10 February 2026 at the Aula Magna of the IRCCS Maternal and Child Health Institute Burlo Garofolo in Trieste.
The event, conceived as the project’s concluding medical-scientific congress, was held in a bilingual Italian–Slovenian format, with simultaneous interpretation services. This reflected the cross-border nature of the initiative and ensured full participation of all attendees.
The morning scientific sessions focused on Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and other pediatric rheumatic diseases. This was followed by a series of flash presentations (10 minutes each) delivered by young researchers from the CONCERTO network, addressing emerging topics in pediatric rheumatology.
At the end of the morning, Prof. Andrea Taddio, together with Prof. Tadej Avcin and Dr. Raffaella Franca (IRCCS Burlo), presented an update on the CONCERTO project. This institutional presentation, aimed at a general audience, reviewed the project’s main objectives and key results. In particular, it highlighted the strengthening of the cross-border clinical database previously developed within the CATTEDRA project, as well as the development of an innovative diagnostic biosensor based on JAK kinase activity, designed to improve disease activity assessment in young rheumatology patients.
The presentation was followed by the symbolic signing of the CONCERTO Network, representing the partners’ commitment to continue their collaboration beyond the official end of the project, scheduled for 28 February 2026.
In the afternoon, the program resumed with a prestigious Lectio Magistralis delivered by Prof. Christian Hedrich (University of Liverpool, UK), an internationally renowned pediatric rheumatologist. Prof. Hedrich provided an authoritative update on the state of the art in chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO), also known as CRMO (chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis).
The final scientific session of the congress, jointly moderated by Italian and Slovenian experts, focused on vasculitis and autoinflammatory syndromes in pediatric patients. Particular attention was given to complex conditions, with discussion covering both pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical-therapeutic implications.
The session concluded with an engaging discussion between participants and speakers, during which the key points of all presentations were summarized. The moderators emphasized several core messages: the importance of a comprehensive and in-depth diagnostic approach in pediatric arthritis; the benefits of targeted therapies in juvenile rheumatic diseases; the crucial role of innovative biomarkers in understanding and treating rare diseases; and the need to continue fostering cross-border collaboration and data sharing to improve care for young patients.
Institutional representatives expressed strong appreciation for the success of the project, recognizing the final conference as a key moment for the dissemination and capitalization of its results. The event effectively showcased the achievements of CONCERTO to the medical-scientific community, promoting the exchange of knowledge and strengthening collaboration between Italian and Slovenian specialists.
