Published January 22, 2021 | Version 2.0.1
Preprint Open

Merging the exposome in an integrated framework for "omic" sciences

  • 1. Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic & RECETOX Centre, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
  • 2. RECETOX Centre, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
  • 3. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
  • 4. Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) – UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
  • 5. Université de Paris, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France & Service de Biochimie métabolomique et protéomique, Hôpital Necker enfants malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
  • 6. Université de Paris, T3S, Inserm UMR S-1124, F-75006 Paris, France
  • 7. Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
  • 8. Oniris, INRAE, LABERCA, Nantes, France
  • 9. Univ Rennes, EHESP, Inserm, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) – UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France & Silent Spring Institute, Newton, MA, USA

Description

Abstract

The exposome was introduced as a concept that encouraged holistic consideration of the non-genetic factors (environmental exposures including lifestyle) that influence an individual’s health over their life course. Recognizing the critical role of underlying endogenous processes in the continuum from exposure to disease, practical application of the exposome concept often includes in-depth biological characterization across molecular omics layers to better understand mechanisms underlying diseases. As a result, the definition of the exposome has evolved to include the importance of considering both exposure and the accumulated biological responses across the lifespan. However, a disconnect between the original concept and practical application has promoted divergent interpretations of the exposome across disciplines and reinforced separation of the environmental (emphasizing exposures) and biological (emphasizing responses) research communities. In particular, whilst knowledge of biological responses can help to distinguish actual (i.e. experienced) from potential exposures and is useful for implementation of the concept, the inclusion of endogenous processes has generated confusion in some scientific circles about the position of the exposome in an integrative biology context. We provide an operational definition of the exposome to support its use in a multi-omics or systems biological context. Specifically, in this context we propose a reattribution of “exposome” to exclusively represent the breadth of external factors or exposures which influence phenotype, and introduce the term ’functional exposomics’ to denote the systematic study of exposure-phenotype interaction. When coupled with the analysis of the other biological omics layers, this operational definition of the exposome allows a more readily integratable data set for multi-omics and systems biology research.

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