Metagenomics in Cardiometabolic Diseases (METACARDIS)
Research Project, 2012 – 2017

METACARDIS applies a systems medicine multilevel approach to identify biological relationships between gut microbiota, assessed by metagenomics, and host genome expression regulation, which will improve understanding and innovative care of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) and their comorbidities. CMD comprise metabolic (obesity, diabetes) and heart diseases characterized by a chronic evolution in ageing populations and costly treatments. Therapies require novel integrated approaches taking into account CMD natural evolution. METACARDIS associates European leaders in metagenomics, who have been successful in establishing the structure of the human microbiome as part of the EU FP7 MetaHIT consortium, clinical and fundamental researchers, SME, patients associations and food companies to improve the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms, prognosis and diagnosis of CMD. We will use next-generation sequencing technologies and high throughput metabolomic platforms to identify gut microbiota- and metabolomic-derived biomarkers and targets associated with CMD risks.The pathophysiological role of these markers will be tested in both preclinical models and replication cohorts allowing the study of CMD progression in patients collected in three European clinical centres of excellence. Their impact on host gene transcription will be characterised in patients selected for typical features of CMD evolution. Application of computational models and visualisation tools to complex datasets combining clinical information, environmental patterns and gut microbiome, metabolome and transcriptome data is a central integrating component in the research, which will be driven by world leaders in metagenomic and functional genomic data analysis. These studies will identify novel molecular targets, biomarkers and predictors of CMD progression, paving the way for personalized medicine in CMD.

Participants

Jens B Nielsen (contact)

System Biology

Collaborations

Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP)

Paris, France

Biobyte Solutions

Heidelberg, Germany

Cargill Haubourdin

Haubourdin, France

Danone Research

Palaiseau, France

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Heidelberg, Germany

French Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)

Paris, France

Imperial College London

London, United Kingdom

Inserm Transfert

Paris, France

Leipzig University

Leipzig, Germany

National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA)

Paris, France

University of Copenhagen

Köbenhavn, Denmark

University of Gothenburg

Gothenburg, Sweden

VIB

Gent, Belgium

Funding

European Commission (EC)

Project ID: EC/FP7/305312
Funding Chalmers participation during 2012–2017

Publications

More information

Project Web Page

www.metacardis.eu

Latest update

2020-09-02