Programmes Européens EU PCRD6

A multidisciplinary study to identify the genetic and environmental causes of asthma in the European Community (GABRIEL)

• Coordinator

  Contact Person:
  COOKSON, William (Professor)
  Tel: +44-2073518174
  Fax: +44-2073515675
  Email: Contact

  Organisation:
  IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
  SECTION OF AIRWAY DISEASE NATIONAL HEART AND LUNG INSTITUTE, Exhibition Road
  LONDON
  UNITED KINGDOM

Project description

GABRIEL provides an integrated multidisciplinary program of post-genome research. Internationally leading groups will apply knowledge of epidemiology, genetics, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, statistics, environmental ecology and immunology into the causes of asthma in the European Community. Exceptional epidemiological and clinical surveys have already been assembled of childhood and adult asthma with inclusive information on environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, nutrition, allergen exposure and industrial agents. DNA and serum have been stored for analyses.

This resource of 40,000 subjects will be extended to include severe asthmatics for genomic and proteomic analyses. GABRIEL will comprehensively screen candidate genes and perform whole-genome association studies to identify all important genetic influences on asthma with unmatched power to verify positive findings. The large body of results from the study will be exploited by statistical and bioinformatics groups experienced in handling data of this complexity. GABRIEL will identify all important gene environment interactions underlying asthma in the European Community, and the results will be translated in cellular and genomic models to identify their molecular mechanisms. Microbial exposures in rural farming environments result in a dramatic reduction in the development of asthma, indicating that effective tools for the prevention of asthma can be developed.

The consortium will therefore systematically study rural farming environments. Cellular and genomic models to identify the molecular mechanisms of protective environments will be developed as screens for novel therapeutics and the commercialisation of consortium results. GABRIEL contains a strong and innovative ethical component, which together with involvement of the JRC will ensure integration of the results into the European knowledge base for patient understanding and disease prevention.

Participants

• BCF DIAGNOSTICS LTD, IRELAND
• COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, FRANCE
• CORPORACION DE PROMOCION UNIVERSITARIA. UNIVERSIDAD SAN FRANCISCO DE QUITO, ECUADOR
• INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL GENETICS, TOMSK SCIENTIFIC CENTER OF THE SIBERIAN BRANCH OF RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
• INSTITUTE OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND GENETICS OF UFA SCIENCE CENTRE OF RAS, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
• RUHR-UNIVERSITY-BOCHUM, GERMANY
• CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, HONG KONG
• INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANT ET DE LA RECHERCHE MDICALE, FRANCE
• UNIVERSITY OF VERONA, ITALY
• GSF - FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER UMWELT AND GESUNDHEIT, GMBH, GERMANY
• SIBERIAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE FEDERAL AGENCY ON HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
• HELSINKI UNIVERSITY CENTRAL HOSPITAL, FINLAND
• SURFACE THERAPEUTICS, UNITED KINGDOM
• UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM
• UNIVERSITY OF AARHUS, DENMARK
• EMC MICROCOLLECTIONS GMBH, GERMANY
• GENEOS LTD, FINLAND
• WROCLAW MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, POLAND
• THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM
• UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS
• UNIVERSITE DE FRANCHE-COMTE, FRANCE
• NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE, FINLAND
• UNIVERSITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES, AUSTRIA
• TNO, NETHERLANDS
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK, IRELAND
• LEIDEN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTRE, NETHERLANDS
• CHARITE-UNIVERSITASMEDIZIN BERLIN, GERMANY
• UTRECHT UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE, NETHERLANDS
• ST GEORGE'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL, UNITED KINGDOM
• UNIVERSITY OF BASEL, SWITZERLAND
• UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM OF ULM, GERMANY
• FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM BORSTEL, GERMANY
• JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE, BELGIUM
• CONSORTIUM NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN GENOMIQUE(COMPOSANTE CENTRE NATIONAL DE GENOTYPAGE), FRANCE
• LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN, GERMANY
• KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET, SWEDEN