MeDALL – EISBM

MeDALL – Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy

Project reference: 261357
Funded under: FP7-HEALTH and managed by CNRS
From 2010-12-01 to 2015-05-31, closed project

MeDALL aimed at generating novel knowledge on the mechanisms of initiation of allergy and to propose early diagnosis, prevention, and targets for therapy. A novel phenotype definition and an integrative translational approach are needed to understand how a network of molecular and environmental factors can lead to complex allergic diseases. A stepwise, large-scale, and integrative approach made use of a network of complementary expertises in allergy, epidemiology, allergen biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology, epigenetics, functional genomics, bioinformatics, computational and systems biology.

MeDALL advanced the state-of-the-art knowledge in the mechanisms underlying the epidemic of IgE-associated allergic diseases. It was based on previous EU projects such as U-BIOPRED which have helped to design this innovative integrated research strategy. It aimed at providing new insights in epigenetics, biomarkers and immunologic mechanisms.

More specifically it develop a multi-step approach, with the goal to:

Define the different allergic/atopic phenotypes.
Provide novel insight in the individual susceptibility to develop IgE-associated allergic diseases.
Provide novel predictive diagnosis of allergy (before it has started or at early stages).
Open novel avenues for the prevention of allergy.

Allergy phenotype handprints developed through an integrative systems biology approach (adapted from U-BIOPRED).

EISBM objectives

Through the lead of the MeDALL Knowledge management, bioinformatics, transcriptomics and systems biology for allergy biomarker discovery workpackage the main tasks for the EISBM team have been to:

Establish the knowledge management and bioinformatics infrastructure necessary to achieve MeDALL objectives in relation with U-BIOPRED.
Perform unbiased discovery of allergy phenotype biomarkers of severe asthma in birth cohorts using transcriptomics fingerprints and integrated network phenotype handprints.
Validate the fingerprints and handprints in birth cohort follow-up for disease progression, therapeutic interventions, and for improvement of human and animal models.

Workflow

Partners

The MeDALL consortium consists of 23 institutions from academia and industry with experts in the fields of epidemiology, genetics, immunology, biology, animal models, biochemistry and systems biology.