Project Title: Investigation of the origin and dynamics of human blood microbiome, and its role in chronic disease

Project No: lzp-2019/1-0116

Period: 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2022

Project costs: 300 000.00 EUR

Principle Investigator: Dr. biol., Assoc. prof. Jānis Kloviņš

Summary

Reports on the existence of a persistent human blood-microbiome even in healthy persons are steadily accumulating. However, the origins, identities, and functions, as well as connection to pathologies still remain to be elucidated. The main aim of this project is to understand the origin and dynamics of human blood microbiome and its association with intestinal inflammation in order to identify reliable omics-based biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of chronic conditions using type 2 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease models. This will be achieved through 1) clarification of the origin of exogenous nucleic acids in blood by obtaining skin, oral and gut microbiome compositions from study participants; 2) investigation of  the functional inflammatory landscape of study participants in correspondence to blood microbiome profiles, focusing on intestinal integrity markers 3) investigation of the association of blood microbiome composition with intestinal diseases and T2D as well as in response to anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory therapy for the potential development of omics-based biomarkers.

As a result, the project will provide not only deeper insight into the origin and stability of blood microbiome, but also on its putative association with gut inflammation and related diseases.

Information published 02.01.2020.