The project, in which two biotechnology companies and the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio) of the Science Park of the University of Valencia (PCUV) participate, obtains aid of more than 800,000 euros granted by the MICINN and from EU NextGeneration European funds. SARCOTECH will develop a sarcopenia prediction model by integrating analyzes of the genome, microbiome and other biochemical biomarkers.

The new project, under the acronym SARCOTECH, focuses on the systematic investigation of risk factors involved in sarcopenia and the implementation of omics technologies, bioinformatics and information and communication technologies, to develop a rapid and low-cost solution for the early detection of sarcopenia. sarcopenia. Its development includes the participation of Sabartech and Dawako Medtech, two biotechnology companies and the Evolutionary Genetics-Symbiosis Group, Consolidated group and mixed research unit of the Institute of Integrative Systems Biology (I2Sysbio), established in the facilities of the Parc Scientist at the University of Valencia (PCUV).  Both PCUV companies have experience in the study of sarcopenia, with previous cooperation funded by the Agència Valenciana de la Innovació (AVI) in the project iSARC-GENETICS.

In the The consortium also includes the FISABIO research group (FISABIO), led by professor and researcher Andrés Moya and the Cardiovascular and Nutritional Epidemiology of Aging group. (GCNEA) of the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and the Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP), directed by Fernando Rodríguez Artalejo. The FISABIO group is dedicated to the study of the human and animal microbiome and has a team of experts in genomics, metagenomics and bioinformatics, and the UAM group has extensive research experience in the field of gerontology and geroscience, carrying out the study and monitoring of older patients for the study of geriatric diseases and syndromes for several years, with the ENRICA-Seniors cohort, one of the patient cohorts of this most important type at an international level.

The new project, which has the acronym SARCOTECH, focuses on the systematic investigation of risk factors involved in sarcopenia and the implementation of omics technologies, Bioinformatics and Information and Communication Technologies to develop a rapid and low-cost solution for the early detection of sarcopenia

Currently, Sabartech, FISABIO and UAM has two other projects underway, the project FRAYLTECH financed by the MICINN in the call for Strategic projects of 2022 (PLEC2022-009352) and the LEGTECH project financed by the ISCIII and CDTi in the joint action of the ISCIII-CDTi of the year 2022 (IDI-20230068]), for the study of Frailty and functional deterioration of the lower extremities (DFEI), respectively. 

Machine learning to predict

The novelty of the proposal consists of combining multiple risk factors for sarcopenia, such as genetics, microbiota, clinical and biochemical biomarkers of oxidation, inflammation and diabetes among others, as well as lifestyle parameters in a machine learning algorithm capable of predicting the appearance and severity of this geriatric syndrome. This algorithm will be integrated into a Multiscale Risk Calculator that will provide professionals with an easily accessible and easy-to-use diagnostic tool to evaluate the Risk of Sarcopenia in their patients and family members. 

The consortium met last Wednesday for the first time virtually to plan the execution of the project, which will last from December 1, 2023 to the end of November 2026. In addition, the participants also propose to generate the first databases based on all these layers of information generated and compiled for Sarcopenia in order to improve the current state of the art associated with pathologies and conditions associated with age, which could be made available to the sarcopenia research community. With this new project, the consortium is positioned as a reference in R&D in the field of geroscience and gerotherapy.

Additional information

PROJECT REFERENCE: CPP2022-009718
PROJECT TITLE: Development of a sarcopenia prediction model by integrating analysis of the genome, the microbiome and other biomarkers biochemicals.

With the support: