Project description
Predicting the evolution of inflammation to disease
Chronic inflammation is the culprit of many diseases, as it causes organ damage silently. The identification of biomarkers that can predict inflammation before any symptoms occur and provide risk stratification to disease onset, would be greatly advantageous. Towards this goal, the EU-funded IMMEDIATE project aims to identify clinical and omics-based biomarkers to generate a disease progression risk/resilience score. The work will focus on the role of gut microbiota metabolites in immune system function and inflammation. Moreover, researchers will investigate the outcome on health and well-being of modulating gut microbiota through probiotics. Results will lay the foundation for a healthier lifestyle.
Objective
IMMEDIATE aims to investigate and explore the diet-microbiome-immunometabolism-axis as a sensor for health-to-disease transition and evaluate strategies to maintain an individual’s well-being. Chronic inflammation is the major root of most diseases. Understanding of this process preceding organ dysfunction or damage and identification of biomarkers in the pre-symptomatic stage and risk but also resilience factors of health-to-disease transition will enable targeted and personalized interventions to prevent irreversible organ damage. Metabolites of gut microbiota are key messengers between diet, microbiota and host, maintaining the balance of pro- and anti-inflammation. Our study takes advantage of cutting-edge omics technologies available within the IMMEDIATE consortium in conjunction with available clinical data and biospecimens from ongoing observational studies, enrolling “healthy” subjects and individuals in the pre-disease stage but with largely distinct environmental and dietary modulators, including a cohort of kidney transplant recipients in whom renal function has been “reset to baseline”. The identification of clinical and omics-derived biomarkers will – by employing AI algorithms - yield a personalized risk / resilience score of chronic inflammation and thus a better prediction of an individual’s risk of transition towards disease. A proof-of-concept intervention study with the anti-inflammatory microbe Akkermansia muciniphila will be conducted to test whether deflections of the microbiome-metabolite-immune axis can be reverted on the biomarker level but also with respect to clinical outcomes and overall well-being. Mobile apps developed by the IMMEDIATE consortium in collaboration with patient organizations tracking numerous lifestyle-related measures and providing guidance and feedback on these aspects will empower individuals to adopt and integrate these knowledge-based health interventions into their own lives, hereby self-managing their own health.
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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
10117 Berlin
Germany