Project Details
Projekt
Coordination Funds
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Tanja Schwerdtle
Subject Area
Nutritional Sciences
Term
since 2017
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316442145
Due to our still limited knowledge on the interaction of trace elements (TE) and the lack of suitable biomarkers for the TE status our capacity to assess the relationship between dietary TE intake, homeostasis and health is restricted. This has so far disabled us to establish reliable recommendations for adequate intake levels for the respective TE in both healthy and diseased humans. In the second TraceAge funding period, we aim to further characterize the impact of TE on each other’s homeostasis and the related consequences for the health status. We will study the model organisms C. elegans and mouse to understand TE interactions and to identify underlying molecular mechanisms of these interactions under conditions of inflammation and aging. Here we will also establish serum and tissue TE fingerprints correlating with age, neurodegeneration and inflammation status to identify and apply new potential functional TE markers. These results will finally be used in combination with the measured TE profiles and TE functional markers in human serum to establish characteristic human serum TE fingerprints for the assessment of age and disease (type 2 diabetes, , colon carcinoma, Alzheimer’s disease and, wound healing disorders) status, in order to predict disease risks and develop preventive strategies.
DFG Programme
Research Units
