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ZHI M, WANG J. [Advances in the applications of exposomics in the identification of environmental pollutants and their health hazards]. Se Pu 2024; 42:142-149. [PMID: 38374594 PMCID: PMC10877475 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1123.2023.12011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental pollution has become a prominent global problem, and the potential health hazards of pollutants have caused widespread concern. However, revealing the relationship between complex-pollutant exposure and disease development remains an immense challenge. The core of environmental-health research and risk assessment is the identification of contaminants and their effects. Exposomics provides a new approach in the study of the relationship between environmental factors and human health. Both "top-down" and "bottom-up" strategies are employed in exposomics research. The development of new technologies for chemical detection and "multi-omics" has greatly facilitated the implementation of these strategies. Exposomics focuses on the measurement of an individual's lifelong exposure and aims to identify the health effects of such exposure. It involves the dynamic monitoring of external and internal exposure levels at different stages of life through traditional biomonitoring and exposomic methods. It also includes the identification of biomarkers, which indicate specific environmental exposures and the adverse effects of these exposures on health. Compared with traditional environmental-health studies, exposomics can more accurately reflect the diversity of exposure factors such as pollutants, natural factors, and lifestyles in the real environment, as well as the complexity of their in vivo processes and the responses they trigger in an organism. Powerful chemical analytical tools such as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) are widely used in studies related to the field of exposomics. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been applied in the detection and analysis of environmental pollutants. Proteomics and metabolomics, as two important tools for biomarker identification and effects analysis, are widely used to explore the relationship between environmental factors and diseases. Pollutants can lead to pathological changes and even toxic effects by interacting with proteins. In the case of mixed exposure, some contaminants may present joint toxicity. The interaction between contaminants may change their environmental behavior or the amount of each contaminant that enters the human body, which, in turn, affects their health effects.
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Chung MK, House JS, Akhtari FS, Makris KC, Langston MA, Islam KT, Holmes P, Chadeau-Hyam M, Smirnov AI, Du X, Thessen AE, Cui Y, Zhang K, Manrai AK, Motsinger-Reif A, Patel CJ. Decoding the exposome: data science methodologies and implications in exposome-wide association studies (ExWASs). EXPOSOME 2024; 4:osae001. [PMID: 38344436 PMCID: PMC10857773 DOI: 10.1093/exposome/osae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
This paper explores the exposome concept and its role in elucidating the interplay between environmental exposures and human health. We introduce two key concepts critical for exposomics research. Firstly, we discuss the joint impact of genetics and environment on phenotypes, emphasizing the variance attributable to shared and nonshared environmental factors, underscoring the complexity of quantifying the exposome's influence on health outcomes. Secondly, we introduce the importance of advanced data-driven methods in large cohort studies for exposomic measurements. Here, we introduce the exposome-wide association study (ExWAS), an approach designed for systematic discovery of relationships between phenotypes and various exposures, identifying significant associations while controlling for multiple comparisons. We advocate for the standardized use of the term "exposome-wide association study, ExWAS," to facilitate clear communication and literature retrieval in this field. The paper aims to guide future health researchers in understanding and evaluating exposomic studies. Our discussion extends to emerging topics, such as FAIR Data Principles, biobanked healthcare datasets, and the functional exposome, outlining the future directions in exposomic research. This abstract provides a succinct overview of our comprehensive approach to understanding the complex dynamics of the exposome and its significant implications for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Kei Chung
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - John S House
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Farida S Akhtari
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Konstantinos C Makris
- Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Michael A Langston
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of TN, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Khandaker Talat Islam
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Philip Holmes
- Department of Physics, Villanova University, Villanova, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alex I Smirnov
- Department of Chemistry, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Xiuxia Du
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, College of Computing and Informatics, University of NC at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Anne E Thessen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of CO Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Yuxia Cui
- Exposure, Response, and Technology Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of NY, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Arjun K Manrai
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alison Motsinger-Reif
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Chirag J Patel
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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3
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Alexopoulos GS. The evolution of western philosophical concepts on social determinants of mental and medical health. Int Psychogeriatr 2024; 36:1-8. [PMID: 37994422 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610223004404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
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4
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Safarlou CW, van Smeden M, Vermeulen R, Jongsma KR. Enabling the Nonhypothesis-Driven Approach: On Data Minimalization, Bias, and the Integration of Data Science in Medical Research and Practice. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2023; 23:72-76. [PMID: 37647475 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2023.2237452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - R Vermeulen
- University Medical Center Utrecht
- Utrecht University
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5
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Gois MFB, Fernández-Pato A, Huss A, Gacesa R, Wijmenga C, Weersma RK, Fu J, Vermeulen RCH, Zhernakova A, Lenters VC, Kurilshikov A. Impact of occupational pesticide exposure on the human gut microbiome. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1223120. [PMID: 37637104 PMCID: PMC10448898 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1223120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The rising use of pesticides in modern agriculture has led to a shift in disease burden in which exposure to these chemicals plays an increasingly important role. The human gut microbiome, which is partially responsible for the biotransformation of xenobiotics, is also known to promote biotransformation of environmental pollutants. Understanding the effects of occupational pesticide exposure on the gut microbiome can thus provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the impact of pesticide exposure on health. Here we investigate the impact of occupational pesticide exposure on human gut microbiome composition in 7198 participants from the Dutch Microbiome Project of the Lifelines Study. We used job-exposure matrices in combination with occupational codes to retrieve categorical and cumulative estimates of occupational exposures to general pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Approximately 4% of our cohort was occupationally exposed to at least one class of pesticides, with predominant exposure to multiple pesticide classes. Most participants reported long-term employment, suggesting a cumulative profile of exposure. We demonstrate that contact with insecticides, fungicides and a general "all pesticides" class was consistently associated with changes in the gut microbiome, showing significant associations with decreased alpha diversity and a differing beta diversity. We also report changes in the abundance of 39 different bacterial taxa upon exposure to the different pesticide classes included in this study. Together, the extent of statistically relevant associations between gut microbial changes and pesticide exposure in our findings highlights the impact of these compounds on the human gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milla F. Brandao Gois
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Asier Fernández-Pato
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Anke Huss
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ranko Gacesa
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Cisca Wijmenga
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rinse K. Weersma
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jingyuan Fu
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Roel C. H. Vermeulen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Zhernakova
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Virissa C. Lenters
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Kurilshikov
- Department of Genetics and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Agache I, Laculiceanu A, Spanu D, Grigorescu D. The Concept of One Health for Allergic Diseases and Asthma. ALLERGY, ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH 2023; 15:290-302. [PMID: 37188486 DOI: 10.4168/aair.2023.15.3.290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The worldwide prevalence of allergic disease is rising as a result of complex gene-environment interactions that shape the immune system and host response. Climate change and loss of biodiversity are existential threats to humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems. While there is significant progress in the development of targeted therapeutic options to treat allergies and asthma, these approaches are inadequate to meet the challenges faced by climate change. The exposomic approach is needed with the recognition of the bidirectional effect between human beings and the environment. All stakeholders need to work together toward mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting a One Health concept in order to decrease the burden of asthma and allergy and to improve immune health. Healthcare professionals should strive to incorporate One Health counseling, environmental health precepts, and advocacy into their practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Agache
- Faculty of Medicine, Transylvania University, Brasov, Romania.
| | | | - Daniela Spanu
- Faculty of Medicine, Transylvania University, Brasov, Romania
| | - Dan Grigorescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Transylvania University, Brasov, Romania
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Babin É, Cano-Sancho G, Vigneau E, Antignac JP. A review of statistical strategies to integrate biomarkers of chemical exposure with biomarkers of effect applied in omic-scale environmental epidemiology. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 330:121741. [PMID: 37127239 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Humans are exposed to a growing list of synthetic chemicals, some of them becoming a major public health concern due to their capacity to impact multiple biological endpoints and contribute to a range of chronic diseases. The integration of endogenous (omic) biomarkers of effect in environmental health studies has been growing during the last decade, aiming to gain insight on the potential mechanisms linking the exposures and the clinical conditions. The emergence of high-throughput omic platforms has raised a list of statistical challenges posed by the large dimension and complexity of data generated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to critically review the current state-of-the-science about statistical approaches used to integrate endogenous biomarkers in environmental-health studies linking chemical exposures with health outcomes. The present review specifically focused on internal exposure to environmental chemical pollutants, involving both persistent organic pollutants (POPs), non-persistent pollutants like phthalates or bisphenols, and metals. We identified 42 eligible articles published since 2016, reporting 48 different statistical workflows, mostly focused on POPs and using metabolomic profiling in the intermediate layer. The outcomes were mainly binary and focused on metabolic disorders. A large diversity of statistical strategies were reported to integrate chemical mixtures and endogenous biomarkers to characterize their associations with health conditions. Multivariate regression models were the most predominant statistical method reported in the published workflows, however some studies applied latent based methods or multipollutant models to overcome the specific constraints of omic or exposure of data. A minority of studies used formal mediation analysis to characterize the indirect effects mediated by the endogenous biomarkers. The principles of each specific statistical method and overall workflow set-up are summarized in the light of highlighting their applicability, strengths and weaknesses or interpretability to gain insight into the causal structures underlying the triad: exposure, effect-biomarker and outcome.
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VoPham T, Jones RR. State of the science on outdoor air pollution exposure and liver cancer risk. ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANCES 2023; 11:100354. [PMID: 36875691 PMCID: PMC9984166 DOI: 10.1016/j.envadv.2023.100354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Background There is emerging evidence that air pollution exposure increases the risk of developing liver cancer. To date, there have been four epidemiologic studies conducted in the United States, Taiwan, and Europe showing generally consistent positive associations between ambient exposure to air pollutants, including particulate matter <2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and liver cancer risk. There are several research gaps and thus valuable opportunities for future work to continue building on this expanding body of literature. The objectives of this paper are to narratively synthesize existing epidemiologic literature on the association between air pollution exposure and liver cancer incidence and describe future research directions to advance the science of understanding the role of air pollution exposure in liver cancer development. Future research directions include 1) accounting for potential confounding by established risk factors for the predominant histological subtype, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); 2) examination of incident primary liver cancer outcomes with consideration of potential differential associations according to histology; 3) air pollution exposure assessments considering early-life and/or historical exposures, residential histories, residual confounding from other sources of air pollution (e.g., tobacco smoking), and integration of geospatial ambient exposure modeling with novel biomarker technologies; 4) examination of air pollution mixtures experienced in the exposome; 5) consideration of increased opportunities for exposure to outdoor air pollution due to climate change (e.g., wildfires); and 6) consideration of modifying factors for air pollution exposure, such as socioeconomic status, that may contribute to disparities in liver cancer incidence. Conclusions In light of mounting evidence demonstrating that higher levels of air pollution exposure increase the risk for developing liver cancer, methodological considerations primarily concerning residual confounding and improved exposure assessment are warranted to robustly demonstrate an independent association for air pollution as a hepatocarcinogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang VoPham
- Epidemiology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, 3980 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Rena R. Jones
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 9609 Medical Center Drive MSC 9776, Bethesda, Maryland 20850, United States
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Hubal R, Cohen Hubal EA. Simulating patterns of life: More representative time-activity patterns that account for context. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107753. [PMID: 36682205 PMCID: PMC11057331 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Complex contributions of environment to health are intimately connected to human behavior. Modeling of human behaviors and their influences helps inform important policy decisions related to critical environmental and public health challenges. A typical approach to human behavior modeling involves generating daily schedules based on time-activity patterns of individual humans, simulating 'agents' with these schedules, and interpreting patterns of life that emerge from the simulation to inform a research question. Current behavior modeling, however, rarely incorporates the context that surrounds individuals' truly broad scope of activities and influences on those activities. OBJECTIVES We describe in detail a range of elements involved in generating time-activity patterns and connect work in the social science field of behavior modeling with applications in exposure science and environmental health. We propose a framework for behavior modeling that takes a systems approach and considers the broad scope of activities and influences required to simulate more representative patterns of life and thus improve modeling that underlies understanding of environmental contributions to health and associated decisions to promote and protect public health. METHODS We describe an agent-based modeling approach reliant on generating a population's schedules, filtering the schedules, simulating behavior using the schedules, analyzing the emergent patterns, and interrogating results that leverages general empirical information in a systems context to inform fit-for-purpose action. DISCUSSION We propose a centralized and standardized program to codify behavior information and generate population schedules that researchers can select from to simulate human behavior and holistically characterize human-environment interactions for a variety of public health applications.
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Vermeulen R. Invited Perspective: Inroads to Biology-Informed Exposomics. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:111302. [PMID: 36350135 PMCID: PMC9645206 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roel Vermeulen
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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11
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Petrick LM, Shomron N. AI/ML-driven advances in untargeted metabolomics and exposomics for biomedical applications. CELL REPORTS. PHYSICAL SCIENCE 2022; 3:100978. [PMID: 35936554 PMCID: PMC9354369 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2022.100978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Metabolomics describes a high-throughput approach for measuring a repertoire of metabolites and small molecules in biological samples. One utility of untargeted metabolomics, unbiased global analysis of the metabolome, is to detect key metabolites as contributors to, or readouts of, human health and disease. In this perspective, we discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have promoted major advances in untargeted metabolomics workflows and facilitated pivotal findings in the areas of disease screening and diagnosis. We contextualize applications of AI and ML to the emerging field of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) exposomics, which unbiasedly detects endogenous metabolites and exogenous chemicals in human tissue to characterize exposure linked with disease outcomes. We discuss the state of the science and suggest potential opportunities for using AI and ML to improve data quality, rigor, detection, and chemical identification in untargeted metabolomics and exposomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Petrick
- The Bert Strassburger Metabolic Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomics Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noam Shomron
- Faculty of Medicine, Edmond J. Safra Center for Bioinformatics, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Center for Innovation Laboratories (TILabs), Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Barouki R, Audouze K, Becker C, Blaha L, Coumoul X, Karakitsios S, Klanova J, Miller GW, Price EJ, Sarigiannis D. The Exposome and Toxicology: A Win-Win Collaboration. Toxicol Sci 2022; 186:1-11. [PMID: 34878125 PMCID: PMC9019839 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfab149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of the exposome concept has been one of the hallmarks of environmental and health research for the last decade. The exposome encompasses the life course environmental exposures including lifestyle factors from the prenatal period onwards. It has inspired many research programs and is expected to influence environmental and health research, practices, and policies. Yet, the links bridging toxicology and the exposome concept have not been well developed. In this review, we describe how the exposome framework can interface with and influence the field of toxicology, as well as how the field of toxicology can help advance the exposome field by providing the needed mechanistic understanding of the exposome impacts on health. Indeed, exposome-informed toxicology is expected to emphasize several orientations including (1) developing approaches integrating multiple stressors, in particular chemical mixtures, as well as the interaction of chemicals with other stressors, (2) using mechanistic frameworks such as the adverse outcome pathways to link the different stressors with toxicity outcomes, (3) characterizing the mechanistic basis of long-term effects by distinguishing different patterns of exposures and further exploring the environment-DNA interface through genetic and epigenetic studies, and (4) improving the links between environmental and human health, in particular through a stronger connection between alterations in our ecosystems and human toxicology. The exposome concept provides the linkage between the complex environment and contemporary mechanistic toxicology. What toxicology can bring to exposome characterization is a needed framework for mechanistic understanding and regulatory outcomes in risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Barouki
- Inserm UMR S-1124, Université de Paris, T3S, Paris F-75006, France
- Service de Biochimie métabolomique et protéomique, Hôpital Necker enfants malades, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Karine Audouze
- Inserm UMR S-1124, Université de Paris, T3S, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Christel Becker
- Inserm UMR S-1124, Université de Paris, T3S, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Ludek Blaha
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 60200, Czech Republic
| | - Xavier Coumoul
- Inserm UMR S-1124, Université de Paris, T3S, Paris F-75006, France
| | - Spyros Karakitsios
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
- Enve.X, Thessaloniki 55133, Greece
| | - Jana Klanova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 60200, Czech Republic
| | - Gary W Miller
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Elliott J Price
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 60200, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Denis Sarigiannis
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, HERACLES Research Center on the Exposome and Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 57001, Greece
- Enve.X, Thessaloniki 55133, Greece
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Price EJ, Vitale CM, Miller GW, David A, Barouki R, Audouze K, Walker DI, Antignac JP, Coumoul X, Bessonneau V, Klánová J. Merging the exposome into an integrated framework for “omics” sciences. iScience 2022; 25:103976. [PMID: 35310334 PMCID: PMC8924626 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The exposome concept encourages holistic consideration of the non-genetic factors (environmental exposures including lifestyle) that influence an individual’s health over their life course. However, disconnect between the 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, while knowledge of biological responses can help to distinguish actual (i.e. experienced) from potential exposures, the inclusion of endogenous processes has generated confusion about the position of the exposome in a multi-omics systems biology context. We propose a reattribution of “exposome” to exclusively represent the totality of contact with external factors that a biological entity experiences, and introduce the term “functional exposomics” to denote the systematic study of exposure-phenotype interaction. This reoriented definition of the exposome allows a more readily integrable dataset for multi-omics and systems biology research. Reattribution of exposome concept to exclusively represent environmental exposures Generalized the exposome concept for all levels of biological organization Functional exposome presented as the totality of exposure-phenotype interaction
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Scholz S, Nichols JW, Escher BI, Ankley GT, Altenburger R, Blackwell B, Brack W, Burkhard L, Collette TW, Doering JA, Ekman D, Fay K, Fischer F, Hackermüller J, Hoffman JC, Lai C, Leuthold D, Martinovic-Weigelt D, Reemtsma T, Pollesch N, Schroeder A, Schüürmann G, von Bergen M. The Eco-Exposome Concept: Supporting an Integrated Assessment of Mixtures of Environmental Chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:30-45. [PMID: 34714945 PMCID: PMC9104394 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Organisms are exposed to ever-changing complex mixtures of chemicals over the course of their lifetime. The need to more comprehensively describe this exposure and relate it to adverse health effects has led to formulation of the exposome concept in human toxicology. Whether this concept has utility in the context of environmental hazard and risk assessment has not been discussed in detail. In this Critical Perspective, we propose-by analogy to the human exposome-to define the eco-exposome as the totality of the internal exposure (anthropogenic and natural chemicals, their biotransformation products or adducts, and endogenous signaling molecules that may be sensitive to an anthropogenic chemical exposure) over the lifetime of an ecologically relevant organism. We describe how targeted and nontargeted chemical analyses and bioassays can be employed to characterize this exposure and discuss how the adverse outcome pathway concept could be used to link this exposure to adverse effects. Available methods, their limitations, and/or requirement for improvements for practical application of the eco-exposome concept are discussed. Even though analysis of the eco-exposome can be resource-intensive and challenging, new approaches and technologies make this assessment increasingly feasible. Furthermore, an improved understanding of mechanistic relationships between external chemical exposure(s), internal chemical exposure(s), and biological effects could result in the development of proxies, that is, relatively simple chemical and biological measurements that could be used to complement internal exposure assessment or infer the internal exposure when it is difficult to measure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:30-45. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Scholz
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Address correspondence to
| | - John W. Nichols
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Beate I. Escher
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Gerald T. Ankley
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Rolf Altenburger
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Research, Biologie V, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Brett Blackwell
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Werner Brack
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lawrence Burkhard
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Timothy W. Collette
- Office of Research and Development, Ecosystem Processes Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia
| | - Jon A. Doering
- National Research Council, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Drew Ekman
- Office of Research and Development, Ecosystem Processes Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, Georgia
| | - Kellie Fay
- Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Risk Assessment Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
| | - Fabian Fischer
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Joel C. Hoffman
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | - Chih Lai
- College of Arts and Sciences, University of Saint Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - David Leuthold
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Nathan Pollesch
- Office of Research and Development, Great Lakes Ecology and Toxicology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota
| | | | - Gerrit Schüürmann
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universitat Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany
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15
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Zhang P, Carlsten C, Chaleckis R, Hanhineva K, Huang M, Isobe T, Koistinen VM, Meister I, Papazian S, Sdougkou K, Xie H, Martin JW, Rappaport SM, Tsugawa H, Walker DI, Woodruff TJ, Wright RO, Wheelock CE. Defining the Scope of Exposome Studies and Research Needs from a Multidisciplinary Perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2021; 8:839-852. [PMID: 34660833 PMCID: PMC8515788 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The concept of the exposome was introduced over 15 years ago to reflect the important role that the environment exerts on health and disease. While originally viewed as a call-to-arms to develop more comprehensive exposure assessment methods applicable at the individual level and throughout the life course, the scope of the exposome has now expanded to include the associated biological response. In order to explore these concepts, a workshop was hosted by the Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR, Japan) to discuss the scope of exposomics from an international and multidisciplinary perspective. This Global Perspective is a summary of the discussions with emphasis on (1) top-down, bottom-up, and functional approaches to exposomics, (2) the need for integration and standardization of LC- and GC-based high-resolution mass spectrometry methods for untargeted exposome analyses, (3) the design of an exposomics study, (4) the requirement for open science workflows including mass spectral libraries and public databases, (5) the necessity for large investments in mass spectrometry infrastructure in order to sequence the exposome, and (6) the role of the exposome in precision medicine and nutrition to create personalized environmental exposure profiles. Recommendations are made on key issues to encourage continued advancement and cooperation in exposomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Zhang
- Gunma
University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Division
of Physiological Chemistry 2, Department of Medical Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
- Key
Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry
of Education), State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Christopher Carlsten
- Air
Pollution Exposure Laboratory, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department
of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Romanas Chaleckis
- Gunma
University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Division
of Physiological Chemistry 2, Department of Medical Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Kati Hanhineva
- Department
of Life Technologies, Food Chemistry and Food Development Unit, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Gothenburg SE-412 96, Sweden
- Department
of Clinical Nutrition and Public Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70210, Finland
| | - Mengna Huang
- Channing
Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and
Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Tomohiko Isobe
- The
Japan Environment and Children’s Study Programme Office, National Institute for Environmental Sciences, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan
| | - Ville M. Koistinen
- Department
of Life Technologies, Food Chemistry and Food Development Unit, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
- Department
of Clinical Nutrition and Public Health, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70210, Finland
| | - Isabel Meister
- Gunma
University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Division
of Physiological Chemistry 2, Department of Medical Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Stefano Papazian
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-114 18, Sweden
| | - Kalliroi Sdougkou
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-114 18, Sweden
| | - Hongyu Xie
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-114 18, Sweden
| | - Jonathan W. Martin
- Science
for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-114 18, Sweden
| | - Stephen M. Rappaport
- Division
of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7360, United States
| | - Hiroshi Tsugawa
- RIKEN Center
for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- RIKEN Center
for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Science, Tokyo
University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588 Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-22
Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Douglas I. Walker
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York10029-5674, United States
| | - Tracey J. Woodruff
- Program
on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Robert O. Wright
- Department
of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York10029-5674, United States
| | - Craig E. Wheelock
- Gunma
University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan
- Division
of Physiological Chemistry 2, Department of Medical Biochemistry and
Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
- Department
of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Karolinska
University Hospital, Stockholm SE-141-86, Sweden
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