# Integrative Metabolomics of Asthma Severity

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2022 · $894,850

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Asthma remains a significant global public health burden. In our previous integrative-metabolomics based R01,
R01HL123915, we exceeded our overarching goal of substantially contributing to the understanding of the
metabolic dysregulation underlying asthma phenotypes, as evidenced by the publication of 30 peer-reviewed
manuscripts, with >20 more in development. We extended well beyond the scope of the initial proposal through
(i) generating and analyzing metabolic and multi-omic data in multiple additional cohorts; and (ii) developing a
collaborative ‘metabolomic epidemiology’ research team and forging key cross-disciplinary global collaborations,
including access to multiple large prospective cohorts. Together these accomplishments have driven the
advancement of Dr. Lasky-Su as a globally recognized leader in this emerging field. In this renewal, we will
leverage the powerful combination of our data, experience, expertise, and most importantly the generated
scientific hypotheses, specifically as they relate to the role of dysregulated sphingolipid, n-3/n-6 PUFA, and
steroid metabolism in asthma. These findings form the basis of the hypotheses and direction of this renewal, in
which we hypothesize that metabolic dysregulation associated with asthma-influencing metabolites is
partially regulated by interconnected genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic features that are crucial for
optimal understanding of metabolomic endotypes of asthma. In order to test this hypothesis, we propose to
(i) conduct the largest metabolomics meta-analysis of asthma phenotypes to date using >50,000 individuals from
>30 international cohorts (AIM ONE); (ii) utilize targeted assays to absolutely quantify key asthma-influencing
metabolites in three diverse asthma cohorts, identified through our previous work in R01HL123915 and
augmented by Aim 1 (AIM TWO). This will enable us to move beyond hypothesis generation to clinical
translation, through the generation of metabolomic profiles and clinically informative endotypes (i.e. asthma
subtypes defined by their underlying mechanisms). Uniquely, we will integrate five additional omic data types
with the targeted metabolites to refine these endotypes and identify the upstream omic drivers underlying the
mechanistic differences that distinguish them (AIM THREE). The successful completion of these aims will enable
us to achieve the overarching objective of this renewal: to provide the most comprehensive characterization of
metabolomic profiles of asthma to date. It will also generate new resources for both the metabolomics and the
asthma communities in the forms of large-scale data generation, statistical developments for combining diverse
metabolomics studies (via COMETS-Analytics), and by addressing questions of heterogeneity across
metabolomics studies. This renewal will expand and build upon the considerable success of R01HL123915,
enabling clinical translatability, and the formulation of knowledge with power t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10439787
- **Project number:** 5R01HL123915-08
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** JESSICA A LASKY-SU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $894,850
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10439787

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10439787, Integrative Metabolomics of Asthma Severity (5R01HL123915-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10439787. Licensed CC0.

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