Laboratory biomarkers and frailty: presentation of the FRAILOMIC initiative

Abstract

The FRAILOMIC consortium (available at: http://www.frailomic.org/) was created and funded under the European FP7 framework in order to overcome these limitations. The consortium comprises seven small and medium-sized companies, six universities, two leading research centres, two hospital-based research groups and researches affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO). The primary aim is to create a European network for developing clinical tools and validating biomarkers that can assist in the managed care of frailty. More specifically, a large number of molecular and biochemical biomarkers will be measured in as many as 75,000 participants, in order to develop predictive, diagnostic and prognostic models in the older general population and people at a higher risk of frailty. The analytical and diagnostic performance of these biomarkers will be compared against the current quality specifications to define whether the current techniques are suitable for use in this specific population. A selected set of biomarkers will then be validated prospectively and assessed to identify the best fit models, which will guide the development of panels of tests or risk estimation models to be used in the clinical setting. The homeostatic impairments of frailty will hence be assessed using a multidisciplinary approach within this network. Hopefully, the outcomes of this initiative will underline the important contribution of laboratory diagnostics for reducing the prevalence or severity of this increasingly frequent condition, thus resulting in large benefits for individuals, society and healthcare systems