Life-long stability, transgenerational heritability and responsiveness of circulatory and sperm short non-coding RNAs in relation to the risk of cardiometabolic diseases

Description of the granted funding

Short non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) regulate gene expression by hindering translation. Their expression has been connected to the development of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), and they have been hypothesized to convey the inheritance of acquired traits. CMDs, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, are causing an overwhelming burden on the health care systems of countries with aging populations, but these diseases are becoming more prevalent in younger individuals as well. We will study what is a physiological sncRNA profile and whether changes in levels of sncRNAs convey the accumulative risk of CMDs. We will also investigate whether father's lifestyle and phenotype can lead to phenotypic changes in the offspring via seminal sncRNA. Our aim is to find novel tools to confront the catastrophic rise in the prevalence of CMDs through new biomarkers and to identify individuals and families at risk and raising awareness of the possible inheritance of unfavorable acquired traits.
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Starting year

2020

End year

2022

Granted funding

Emma Raitoharju Orcid -palvelun logo
250 000 €

Funder

Research Council of Finland

Funding instrument

Academy projects

Other information

Funding decision number

330809

Fields of science

Biomedicine

Research fields

Biolääketieteet

Themes

Nuori tutkijasukupolvi 2019

Identified topics

cardiovascular diseases