microbAIome

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microbAIome – Host-microbiome interactions in atherothrombosis

The microbAIome project investigates the role of the microbiome in atherothrombosis. In particular, bioinformatic analysis of RNA sequencing results is performed. In a complementary approach, clinical microbiomes from patients, that took part in population studies and show cardiovascular diseases, are transplanted into germ-free recipient mice to investigate the role of these microbiomes in arterial thrombosis. In addition, potential targets within the sphingolipid synthesis pathway will be investigated with regard to the development of atherothrombosis. Together with the analysis of stool samples from patients with cardiovascular diseases, this translational project will help us to learn about the effects of the gut microbiome and its impact towards cardiovascular diseases, which will be helpful in the future for optimal diagnosis, stratification and treatment of patients.

The interaction between the microbiota and its host influences the development of atherothrombosis. Since the microbiota regulates the intestinal epithelial barrier, microbAIome will investigate whether bacterial patterns are effective in regulating this metabolic pathway in the sinusoidal liver endothelium. To this end, microbAIome will investigate the microbiota-dependent regulation of the sphingolipid synthesis pathway via pattern recognition receptors in the sinusoidal liver endothelium. Based on mouse models and human faecal samples from atherosclerotic patients in the MyoVasc study, StarSEQ will expand its NGS microbiome sequencing services for the profiling of microbial metabolic pathways. The project identifies key microbial marker species of the gut microbiome that are causally linked to the sphingolipid-mediated gut-liver-heart axis. Together with StarSEQ, a diagnostic pipeline is being developed that can be used to monitor the efficiency of the metabolic breakdown of antithrombotic agents. In cooperation with StarSEQ, a diagnostic pipeline in the form of a Matabarcoding approach is to be developed on the basis of microbial metabolic pathways, such as the synthesis of bacterial sphingolipids, to assess the risk of atherothrombotic diseases. The microbiome-regulated targets of sphingolipid synthesis are being investigated with regard to their functional significance in atherothrombosis. MicrobAIome is the first to use microbiome-regulated enzymes and products of sphingolipid metabolism as diagnostic markers.