Research Background:
As Research Background: Cancer is a leading cause of death and disease burden worldwide and frequently coexists with other chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. These diseases share overlapping biological mechanisms-genomic instability, chronic inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and immune dysfunction-and are influenced by genetic susceptibility, molecular perturbations, environmental exposures, and behavioral factors. Solid tumors and hematologic malignancies may exhibit distinct yet intersecting pathways, particularly in the context of aging and immune regulation.
Aims and Objectives:
1.Identify genetic variants and multi-omics biomarkers associated with the onset, progression, and prognosis of cancer and related chronic diseases;
2.Integrate genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and imaging data to uncover key biological pathways and population-level heterogeneity;
3.Evaluate the causal impact of modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors ;
4.Investigate multimorbidity patterns and shared molecular mechanisms .
Scientific Rationale: Cancer and chronic diseases often interact biologically and clinically. For example, metabolic dysfunction may promote tumorigenesis, while cardiovascular and cognitive impairments are common among cancer patients. Hematologic malignancies, though biologically distinct from solid tumors, share immune and inflammatory pathways with other chronic conditions. UK Biobank provides a unique platform for investigating these relationships, offering large-scale multi-omics data, whole-body and brain imaging, biomarker panels, lifestyle metrics, environmental exposures, and longitudinal health outcomes.
By integrating multi-omics profiles with behavioral and environmental data, with behavioral and environmental data, we aim to construct predictive models, identify modifiable molecular pathways, and validate causal relationships.
