ASSOCIAZIONE HAND IN HAND

Their core work

Associazione Hand in Hand is an Italian NGO/association based in Nemi that contributes to cancer research, specifically in the areas of immunotherapy, RNA-based therapeutics, and less invasive cancer monitoring approaches. Their involvement spans personalized postoperative cancer treatment, proactive surveillance as an alternative to surgery, and development of RNA-based cancer therapies. They participate as a partner in MSCA-RISE staff exchange projects, suggesting they facilitate knowledge transfer and researcher mobility between clinical and research institutions across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest project (CANCER, 2018) centred on immunotherapy and improving quality of life through less invasive postoperative approaches. By 2020, their two newer projects shifted toward more specific technical domains: RNA-based cancer therapeutics (cONCReTE) and diagnostic imaging and active surveillance for rectal cancer (PRISAR2). The trajectory shows a broadening from treatment-focused work to encompassing diagnostics, monitoring tools, and molecular therapy development.

They are moving from treatment-oriented cancer research toward precision diagnostics and molecular therapies, indicating growing capability in translational oncology tools.

How they like to work

Hand in Hand operates exclusively as a participant, never as a coordinator, across all three projects — consistent with a support or facilitation role rather than a scientific lead. With 44 unique consortium partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they work within large, diverse MSCA-RISE consortia designed for international staff exchange. This suggests they serve as a node connecting clinical and research communities rather than driving the scientific agenda directly.

Despite only three projects, they have built connections with 44 distinct partners across 12 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of MSCA-RISE mobility actions. Their network is broad and European in scope, facilitated by the staff exchange nature of their projects.

What sets them apart

As an NGO rather than a university or hospital, Hand in Hand occupies an unusual niche in cancer research consortia — likely contributing patient advocacy, community engagement, or knowledge dissemination perspectives that academic partners cannot easily provide. Their location in Nemi (near Rome) and consistent involvement in MSCA-RISE projects suggests they specialize in facilitating researcher mobility and cross-sector knowledge transfer in oncology. For consortium builders, they offer a non-academic voice and associative structure that can strengthen the societal impact dimension of cancer research proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CANCER
  Their largest funded project (EUR 216,000), focused on personalised postoperative immunotherapy — the clearest signal of their core cancer care expertise.
• cONCReTE
  Participation in RNA therapeutics development represents a step into one of the most active frontiers of cancer treatment research.
• PRISAR2
  Explores watch-and-wait strategies for rectal cancer — a clinically significant shift away from automatic surgical intervention.