Deciphering the Exposome by Metabolomic Technology in Breast Cancer

Introduction

EXPOMET proposes a pioneering mass spectrometry-based platform for omic-scale assessment of chemical exposures. EXPOMET will revolutionize our perception of environmental contaminants and the influence these have on breast cancer (BC).

Background

In our ageing society, the incidence of chronic disease is constantly rising; yet, environmental drivers of disease susceptibility are poorly understood. Measuring the myriad of chemicals that humans are constantly exposed to is immensely challenging; and identifying interactions and the molecular pathways that are disrupted is an even more complex task.

To address this issue, the concept of the exposome, i.e., the totality of chemical exposures and the biological effects thereof, was proposed. Innovative analytical technology, however, is lacking and remains the major limitation in this emerging field.

Objectives

EXPOMET aims to establish new avenues towards a comprehensive sequencing of the exposome and illuminating the role played in the etiology of BC. Affecting 1 in 8, BC is the most common cancer in European women.

Methodology

Novel workflows will overcome current limitations and enable high-throughput exposure and effect monitoring of a vast number of environmentally relevant chemicals. The developed cutting-edge methods will be applied, and critically evaluated, in the first exposome-wide association (ExWAS) study on BC.

A deeper understanding of the toxicological impact of co-exposure will be obtained from ensuing functional, systems-level experiments. Breakthrough metabolomic-guided pathway mapping and activity-screening technology will be utilized for investigating causative events.

Impact

The project will provide unique insights into the impact of chemical exposure on the etiology of BC and ground-breaking exposomic technology. EXPOMET will revolutionize viewpoints on environmental contaminants and the influence these have on chronic disease.

Expertise

The PI has a uniquely interdisciplinary expertise to address the multi-facets of this exposome approach.