1. Home
  2. Activities
  3. Research project
  4. Research projects
  5. Women4Health: A unique cohort to study mechanisms underlying sex differences in cardiometabolic diseases (DSB.AD005.110)
Research project

Women4Health: A unique cohort to study mechanisms underlying sex differences in cardiometabolic diseases (DSB.AD005.110)

Thematic area

Biomedical sciences

Project area

Genetica (DSB.AD005)

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute for Genetic and Biomedical Research (IRGB)

Project manager

SERENA SANNA
Phone number: 070/6754618
Email: serena.sanna@irgb.cnr.it

Abstract

Cardiometabolic disorders (CMD), a group of conditions that include cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome , are characterized by dysfunction of glycemic and/or lipid metabolism. The complexity of CMD is amplified by relevant differences in clinical manifestations, severity and progression between sexes, the underlying mechanisms of which are largely unknown. The poorer prognosis in women globally calls for an urgent need for better women's tailored treatments and prevention.
We propose to study mechanisms leading to CMD in women by setting up a longitudinal cohort of 300 healthy women and assessing the interplay among sex hormones, gut and vaginal microbiome and host glycemic and lipidic metabolism using cutting edge technologies and state-of-the-art statistical methods for omics data analyses

Goals

We aim to understand the complex relationships between sex hormones, gut and vaginal microbiome, and host metabolism in women, through the following specific objectives:

1. Set up a longitudinal cohort to study complex relationships between sex hormones, gut and vaginal microbiome, and host metabolism in women
2. Characterise dynamic dynamic changes in blood biomarkers for cardio-metabolic diseases during sex-hormones changes in a women's life
3. Characterise dynamic changes in gut microbiome composition and function during sex-hormones changes in a women's life
4. Characterise dynamic changes in vaginal microbiome composition during sex-hormones changes in a women's life
5. Perform integrative statistical analyses to characterize causal relationships between sex hormones, gut and vaginal microbiome and host metabolism

Start date of activity

01/10/2021

Keywords

sex-specific mechanisms, cardiometabolic diseases, microbiome

Last update: 29/11/2024