PROJECT: JTC2024 - Brain-Body: AutoHealth

AutoHealth focuses on unraveling the interaction between the brain and the body in stress-related disorders by connecting their metabolic and psychiatric phenotypes through the mechanism of cellular autophagy. We will use validated animal models of early life stress analyzed with advanced deep phenotyping technologies alongside human cohorts characterized by their psychiatric and metabolic profiles and stress exposure history, to reveal long-term consequences of stress on behavior, physiology, and metabolism along with autophagic alterations in the brain, as well as in metabolic organs. Additionally, AutoHealth will evaluate novel pharmacological interventions targeting autophagy in both peripheral and central systems to reverse stress-induced phenotypes. The goal is to translate the insights gained from animal studies to clinical trials in humans with specific metabolic and psychiatric disorders, and vice versa, thereby pioneering autophagy-centric therapeutic approaches. We aim for a translational dissemination of research results that is patient-centered, involving patient organizations, healthcare professionals, and scientists worldwide. The detailed phenotyping and molecular analyses across both human and animal studies will forge a deep understanding of the interplay between the brain and the body, and how this is modulated by autophagy in relation to stress, and will ultimately drive the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for stress-related disorders.