TORNADO

Molecular Targets Open for Regulation by the gut flora – New Avenues for improved Diet to Optimize European health

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Europe is facing major diet related health problems. Attitudes to eating habits have to be changed and the benefits of alternative treatment regimes substantiated. This can only be achieved by providing guidelines regulating health claims based on scientific data. Thus, there is a unique opportunity to use gut flora in potential treatment regimes and as a preventive target for major diet related health problems. TORNADO consortium proposes a systemic and comprehensive mechanistic approach to deliver scientific data that can be compiled as guidelines for European authorities. TORNADO will determine the influence of diet on the gut flora and highlight the impact of gut flora on the immune system/other organ systems. TORNADO aims to investigate molecular targets that are subject to regulation by gut flora and diet that sustain health. This will be done by an increasing level of specificity, from (1) investigations of dietary habits and health in population cohorts, through (2) intervention studies in humans and animals and (3) analyses of the intestine and immune system, and also organs like adipocyte tissue, liver & brain, to pinpointing the impact of dietary influence on (4) cells and (5) potential functional molecular targets. TORNADO will deliver data that can be used to recommend biomarkers for evaluating effects of diet or microbes; refute, substantiate or improve health claims of existing products; generate novel functional food products. TORNADO's approach of microbe-to-mouse-to-man validation of dietary influence will enable more solid evidence for health claims and provide concrete deliverables e.g. Roadmaps to Health, Tailor-made Health-monitoring. Continuous state-of-the-art dissemination programs will increase impact. TORNADO's program will accelerate future design of personalized functional food for specific target groups. The evidence-based data delivered by TORNADO will have long lasting effects on health among European citizens well beyond 2012.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A major cornerstone in preventive medicine could be healthy gut flora. An EU project, Tornado, is undergoing research to provide guidelines regulating health claims on this promising avenue to better health.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Diet-related health issues are manifesting themselves even in the youth of Europe. These include diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. One possible way to remedy this problem is to involve manipulation of gut flora in potential treatment regimes. Experts from interdisciplinary fields worked with the food industry so Tornado could present a thorough assessment of underlying mechanisms attached to dietary products compared to more traditional approaches.

Tornado researchers bolstered their research data by using existing relevant European groups of people belonging to three major age groups and including a twin and a birth cohort. A comprehensive databank containing details of microbial composition, serum metabolome, clinical data and dietary records was put together using the trial groups.

Tornado also established a human tissue repository bank to investigate postnatal gut microbiota cross-talk. The development of oral tolerance or systemic lack of immune response against food and commensal bacteria, a feature of intestinal immunity, was investigated. Using laser-capture microscopy of sections of human gut tissue, a large group of genes thought to be involved in immunity, metabolism and cell fate are being studied.

Lactobacillus features highly in the research agenda and the Tornado team are assessing if the probiotic has beneficial long-term effects on allergic disease occurrence by influencing the composition of gut flora. There is evidence that there is a strong link between coeliac disease and gut microbiota, and project scientists have undertaken a comprehensive study of the composition of the microbiome in children with the condition. Another research target was to determine the impact of diet, particularly high-meat and low-fibre, on intestinal flora and obesity markers in a group of healthy adults.

Gut microbiota can have an effect on the regulation of target genes and signalling pathways. To investigate this important phenomenon, the scientists have developed several microbe-free mouse models that are deficient in key receptors and genes.

Results from the Tornado project include evidence that gram negative bacteria can prompt an increase in insulin resistance. Furthermore, different dairy components were shown to have an impact on gut microbiota, glucose tolerance and overall white adipose tissue in mice obese due to diet. It is also highly likely that the study will show that a single bacterial species can have significant effects on intestinal peripheral (T cell) immune responses.

Tornado research will help to implement beneficial changes in the health status of the population as a whole. By tackling the health problems ascribed to incorrect diet by educating the public, starting at school level, the social and financial costs of the disease burden can be significantly reduced. The work also promises to deliver first-class knowledge to substantiate claims of health products such as probiotics. Overall, Tornado will be able to develop a platform to accelerate personalised diets for target groups such as the elderly.