Descripción del proyecto
¿Qué nos dice nuestro intestino sobre las enfermedades cardiovasculares?
Cada vez más pruebas apuntan a la relación entre la microbiota intestinal y las enfermedades cardiovasculares. El objetivo general del proyecto GUTSY, financiado con fondos europeos, es determinar los vínculos causales entre la microbiota intestinal y la enfermedad ateroesclerótica e identificar los biomarcadores accesibles de la microbiota intestinal que fomentan la ateroesclerosis. El proyecto definirá las características de la microbiota relacionadas con la ateroesclerosis empleando tomografías coronarias computarizadas, angiografías y ecografías carotídeas de alta resolución en un estudio basado en una población de 10 000 individuos. Se caracterizará la microbiota mediante secuenciación de próxima generación de muestras fecales. Se identificarán los biomarcadores plasmáticos relacionados con la microbiota que fomentan la ateroesclerosis mediante perfiles metabolómicos y se llevará a cabo un análisis genético para aclarar los efectos causales de las características de la microbiota intestinal sobre las enfermedades cardiovasculares.
Objetivo
Atherosclerosis is the main pathological mechanism causing myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Evidence has mounted about the association between the gut microbiota and cardiovascular disease, but whether the associations are causal is largely unknown. For optimal prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, there is an urgent need to determine whether there are any true effects that might be targeted by interventions. The overall goal of this project is to assess causality between gut microbiota and atherosclerotic disease and to provide easily accessible biomarkers for an atherosclerosis-enhancing gut microbiota. To this end, the research program has three main objectives:
1.) Identification of gut microbiota characteristics associated with atherosclerosis measured by coronary computed tomography angiography and high-resolution carotid ultrasound in a population-based sample of 10,000 individuals and through prospective follow-up for myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. The microbiota will be characterized by next-generation sequencing techniques in faecal samples.
2.) Identification of plasma biomarkers associated with an atherosclerosis- enhancing microbiota using comprehensive metabolomics profiling of 800 named metabolites in plasma from 800 individuals with replication in additional 800 individuals
3.) Clarification of the causal effects of gut microbiota characteristics on atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke by development of novel genetic instruments and applying Mendelian Randomization analysis
I have access to unique study materials and documented experience of successful projects using large scale -omics data and state-of-the-art epidemiological methodologies. My project is expected to lead to the identification of characteristics of an atherosclerosis-enhancing gut microbiota and associated plasma biomarkers that may open up new avenues for effective prevention of atherosclerotic disease.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-STG - Starting GrantInstitución de acogida
751 05 Uppsala
Suecia