This project aims to investigate interactions between cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other major disorders using phenotypic, genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and health outcome data in the UK Biobank. Although often studied separately, these diseases may share mechanisms and risk factors, including metabolic changes, immune regulation, and organ-to-organ communication. We will examine whether cardiovascular disease and cancer share overlapping metabolic, proteomic, and genetic signatures, and how these relate to other disorders such as neurological or metabolic diseases. We will also test if systemic factors such as circulating proteins, metabolites, and microbiota-derived molecules drive multi-organ crosstalk and influence disease onset, progression, and prognosis.The objectives of this project are:
1.Identify shared and disease-specific genetic, proteomic, and metabolic pathways in cardiovascular disease, cancer, and related disorders.2.Characterize circulating proteins and metabolites as mediators of disease crosstalk and organ interactions.3.Investigate systemic biomarkers, including hormones, inflammatory mediators, and microbiota-derived molecules, in multi-disease development.4.Evaluate lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposures in shaping proteomic and metabolic networks linking diseases.5.Explore organ-to-organ communication (e.g., gut-heart, gut-brain, heart-brain axes) in disease progression and prognosis.6.Integrate multi-omics with clinical and lifestyle factors to build predictive models for risk stratification.7.Identify candidate biomarkers as therapeutic targets or monitoring tools for early detection, prognosis, and prevention of multimorbidity.8.Provide a systems-level understanding of disease interactions to guide precision medicine and public health strategies.
The rationale is that a multi-omics, systems-based approach will reveal shared mechanisms and cross-disease pathways, advancing precision medicine and prevention.
