EPIGENomic markers for AIR pollution-induced health effects

Project Information

EPIGENAIR

Grant agreement ID: 628858

Project closed

Start date 1 May 2014

End date 30 April 2016

Funded under

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Total cost € 231 283,20

EU contribution € 231 283,20

Coordinated by

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
United Kingdom

Objective

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has detrimental effects on the health outcomes. Recently is shown that particulate matter increases the risk for lung cancer at the population level, which is assessed within the framework of the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE). This study dramatically increased the epidemiological weight of this association, however mechanistic evidence at this level is mostly scarce. Epigenetics, the heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve a change in DNA sequences such as DNA methylation can modulate genomic functions under exogenous influence such as air pollution. So far, several lines of research suggest that the mechanisms involved are through inflammation and oxidative damage. In spite of the specific DNA methylation results a large genome-wide epigenetic analysis in relation to ambient air pollution has not been performed, as such this gap in knowledge will be addressed by this proposal.
In this project I hypothesise that DNA methylation of inflammation and oxidative stress pathways are key in PM-induced effects. I aim to identify changes in methylation related to exposure to specific air pollutants by profiling full genome methylation data. For this project I will combine exposure and epigenetic data from three large prospective studies of over 1200 individuals from the ESCAPE (FP7), HuGeF (Human Genetics Foundation, Italy) and EnvironGenoMarkers (FP7) studies. I will explore the association of genome wide DNA methylation (Illumina 450K) with ambient air pollution in healthy subjects (n=1200) with detailed air pollution measurements, including personal estimates of PM2.5 PM10, PMcoarse, NO2, NOx and traffic indicators. I will perform a study of pathways and networks that PM exposure affects followed in depth cross-omics analysis between DNA methylation and transcriptomics data.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › biological sciences › genetics › DNA
• engineering and technology › environmental engineering › air pollution engineering
• natural sciences › earth and related environmental sciences › environmental sciences › pollution
• natural sciences › biological sciences › genetics › genomes
• natural sciences › biological sciences › genetics › epigenetics

Programme(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development"

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE

• EU contribution: € 231 283,20
• Address: SOUTH KENSINGTON CAMPUS EXHIBITION ROAD ; SW7 2AZ LONDON ; United Kingdom
• Region: London › Inner London — West › Camden and City of London
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Administrative Contact: Tatjana Palalic (Ms.)
• Total cost: No data