Our goal is:

• to develop a laser-based minimally invasive diagnostic tool


• to create a reliable health monitoring system


• to detect certain diseases at an early stage / to be a driving force in the early detection of diseases


• to advance the frontiers of medicine

An essential part of the research is the collection of blood samples from healthy individuals voluntarily, to establish the reference range of the data measured by our new approach (involving laser technology) to describe differences between individuals as well as changes within an individual.

Thus, the H4H project will contribute to the development of medicine, with the possibility of creating a reliable health monitoring system improving the quality of life in the future for all of us.

The Center for Molecular Fingerprinting aims to measure blood samples from 15.000 participants over 10 years. This way, the differences between individuals, as well as within-individual changes, can be described. Because we aim to examine the health changes within a person, it is essential that volunteers visit us 2-3 times per year.

The blood samples for the H4H project are taken and collected by different medical cooperation partners, depending on the region.

Please note, that inclusion into the H4H program is currently on hold.

If you are interested in our study and would like to get further information, please get in touch with us:

Phone: +36 30 016 7102 (M-F: 9-15h)
E-Mail: info@h4h.hu

• What is the H4H Project?
  

  The H4H (Health for Hungary - Hungary for Health) project is part of a cutting-edge nonprofit research program that aims to develop a personalized infrared laser-based novel diagnostic tool for the future of healthcare. Drawing on the latest advances in different scientific fields - laser physics, medicine, molecular diagnostics, computational data analysis – we are developing a new approach of Infrared Molecular Fingerprinting for minimally invasive health monitoring.

• What are the aims of the H4H Project?
  

  Our goal is to improve the current medical system by creating a new, minimally invasive way of health monitoring and detecting diseases at an early stage.

• How can I participate in the H4H Project?
  

  An essential part of the research is the collection of blood samples from healthy individuals voluntarily to establish the reference range of the data measured by our new approach (involving laser technology) to describe differences between individuals as well as changes within an individual over time.
  Currently, inclusion into the H4H program is on hold.

• What should I do if I want to participate in the H4H Project?
  

  Currently, inclusion into the H4H program is on hold.

• What should I do if there is no collaborating institution near me?
  

  We are constantly working on expanding our network of collaborating institutions to bring the H4H project close to as many individuals as possible.
  If you are unable to travel to any of our current collaborating institutions, please check our website in a couple of months as we might have new institutions by then that are closer to you.

• Where can I donate blood for the H4H Project?
  

  You can donate blood for the project at one of our collaborating institutions. Please find the list of these institutions by clicking on the link here.

• How much blood do I need to donate as a volunteer?
  

  The required blood sample volume is 14 ml in addition to the amount required for routine laboratory blood tests.

• How often should I donate blood?
  

  We aim to measure blood samples from 15.000 participants over 10 years. This way, the differences between individuals, as well as within-individual changes, can be described. To examine the health changes within a person, it is essential that volunteers visit us 1-3 times per year over several years. Regular blood donations (every 4,5 months) are indispensable for the success of our research. Therefore, we kindly ask you only to participate if you can commit to donating blood 2-3 times over the years. Once you are part of the research, the blood donation only takes a few minutes.

• Who will benefit from my donation?
  

  The H4H project is developing an innovative and promising method for the minimally invasive detection of diseases such as cancers. By donating 14 ml of blood, you will make an important personal contribution to the future of health monitoring, play a part in shaping the future of clinical medicine, and hopefully help save lives.

• What do I get for participating in the H4H Project?
  

  First of all, you can facilitate to advance of the frontiers of medicine and contribute to developing a novel diagnostic tool of the future: not curative – but a preventive medical approach. Personalized medicine that will help people at an individual level.
  To monitor your health, we will evaluate your laboratory blood count free of charge upon your request, which you will receive each time you give a blood sample to keep track of your health. The above-mentioned evaluation is optional and will only be pursued with your permission.
  You will be reimbursed with a fee of 3000 Ft for the first donation (selection for the examination), and for each subsequent visit, the reimbursement will be even higher - increased by 1000 Ft on each occasion.

• Who is eligible to donate blood for the H4H Project?
  

  We seek volunteers over 40 years of age who are free of malignant disease. If you have a mild, well-controlled primary disorder other than cancer (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, asthma, etc.), you are eligible to take part. For details, please check with one of our collaborating institutions.

• I am pregnant. Can I donate blood for the H4H Project?
  

  Participation of pregnant women in clinical studies is subject to special regulations. For this reason, those who are pregnant cannot take part in this study.

• I have a primary disease (diabetes, allergy ...). Can I donate blood for the H4H Project?
  

  Donors who have a primary disease are eligible to participate in the H4H study – provided that they do not have malignant disease. Please note that – at this point – cancer patients generally cannot donate blood samples in response to this present appeal.

• I recently donated blood. How long must I wait before I can donate for the H4H Project?
  

  The sample volume needed for the H4H Project is quite small (14 ml in addition to the amount required for laboratory tests, which is no more than the amount required for a routine clinical laboratory test). Therefore, it does not matter when your last regular blood donation (not related to the H4H Project) took place.

• How long must I wait after a vaccination before I can donate for the H4H Project?
  

  Since any vaccination (COVID or any other type) can alter the cellular composition of the blood, please wait for at least two weeks after vaccination before donating blood to H4H for the first time.

• What should I bring with me?
  

  You need to bring nothing with you when donating blood to the H4H Project. Usually, the blood sample is taken from the crook of the arm, so it is helpful if the arm is easily accessible. You should also make sure to drink enough before and after donating blood.

• What does the process involve?
  

  Before donating your blood, you will be given an explanatory briefing, including a detailed description of the project, and a member of the study team will inform you about the benefits and risks involved. You will then be asked to sign a consent form and fill out a questionnaire in which you will be asked for information about your age, sex, current illnesses, and medication.
  Then a 14-ml sample will be taken by a trained member of the clinical staff, in addition to the amount of blood required for laboratory tests.
  The sample is then immediately frozen and stored at one of our collaborating institutions, from where it is collected at set intervals into a biobank. The molecular fingerprinting analysis is carried out by CMF personnel - currently at the Faculty of Physics at LMU Munich and soon at the CMF laboratories in Hungary.

• How long does the process take?
  

  The blood donation itself takes only a few minutes. The entire procedure, including the time needed for the preliminary briefing and completion of the study questionnaire, lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. At the first visit, an additional 20-30 minutes is required for the informed consent procedure.

• What happens to my personal data?
  

  The study is subject to all the standard provisions governing medical confidentiality and data protection. All data are collected and anonymized by employees of the collaborating institutions before the samples are made available to researchers at the Center for Molecular Fingerprinting (CMF). Neither the donor’s name, initials, or exact date of birth are incorporated into the coding of the individual samples. The data obtained from sample analysis will be evaluated exclusively in the context of the H4H project.

• Will I be informed of the results of the blood test?
  

  Since the method of analysis to be used in the study is still in the experimental phase, the results cannot be communicated to donors. However, you will be informed about the results of the regular blood test performed parallelly with the blood donation.

• What is done with the donated blood sample?
  

  Immediately after the sample is taken, blood plasma is separated from other components of blood. The plasma is then frozen and stored until required (temporarily at the collaborating institutions, then at the Biobank of Szegedi TE). The molecular fingerprinting analysis is currently carried out in the Faculty of Physics at LMU Munich and soon at the CMF laboratories in Hungary.
  If you subsequently decide to withdraw from the study, you may decide that the remaining portion of the sample that you donated will be destroyed or can be kept.

• Where can I obtain further information about the H4H Project?
  

  If you have any further questions about the H4H project or need any further information, please contact us via phone:
  +36 30 016 7102 (M-F: 9-17h) or via email: info@h4h.hu