„CHildhood Allergy and tolerance: bioMarkers and Predictors” (CHAMP) -A
call for prediction and quality of life
Abstract
Background: Allergic diseases are the most prevalent chronic childhood
diseases resulting in a massive societal and economic burden for the
community and a significant reduction of health-related quality of life
(HRQoL) for affected families. The project CHAMP (CHildhood Allergy and
tolerance: bioMarkers and Predictors) was funded in 2017 by the German
Federal Ministry for Education and Research. Methods: CHAMP investigates
the determinants of different allergic diseases from birth to
adolescence to identify clinically relevant biomarkers predicting onset,
progression, remission and severity. Data on HRQoL and patient’s needs
and requirements were collected, supported by the German Asthma and
Allergy Association (DAAB). Using validated questionnaires and
outpatient visits, eight subprojects analysed allergic diseases in
epidemiological or clinical cohorts (more than 2500
children/adolescents), sampling numerous biomaterials to assess omics on
several levels. Murine models disentangled underlying mechanisms of
early tolerance, translating findings from the cohorts to models and
vice versa. Results: The DAAB survey, including 851 participants, showed
that 83% were interested in prediction of the course of different
current allergic diseases and future manifestation. 86% of participants
considered doctor’s specialized training and their education as highly
important, over 70% chose research for allergy understanding and
prevention as critical. CHAMP addresses these needs. Common SOPs have
been established and recruitment is ongoing. Conclusion: The DAAB
patient survey confirmed the critical need for translational allergy
research. CHAMP envisions to predict onset, tolerance and remission of
allergic diseases and to identify disease sub-phenotypes for future
development of preventive strategies and novel avenues for therapeutic
options.