The Exposome and Human Health

Abstract

It is now well understood that an individual’s unique characteristics arise from the intricate interaction between genes and a vast range of nongenetic factors. While only a small fraction of diseases can be solely attributable to genetics, studies of nongenetic factors have been sporadic and mostly focused on a single factor or limited factors. To address this imbalance, the concept of the exposome has emerged, offering a broader perspective on human health. The exposome represents the comprehensive collection of all physical, chemical, biological, and psychosocial factors to which individuals are exposed from conception onward, along with their internal biological responses, which collectively shape health outcomes. (1) Because of remarkable advances in measurement techniques and analytical methods, the exposome has become increasingly prominent in environmental and biomedical research. This paradigm shift has enabled the identification of causal relationships between nongenetic factors and specific health outcomes. For example, exposure to certain chemical mixtures, whether voluntary or involuntary, has been linked to the onset of various diseases and metabolic disorders. (2) Notably, recent exposome-wide association studies (EWAS) on aging and mortality within the UK Biobank, encompassing nearly half a million participants, have demonstrated that all-cause mortality is influenced more by the exposome than by the genome. (3) Despite these advancements, studying the exposome remains highly complex. Its dynamic nature, the wide diversity of exposures, and the continuous variation of these factors over a lifetime present significant challenges. To fully comprehend the exposome’s impact on health, a multidisciplinary approach is essential. Integration of expertise from diverse fields, such as analytical chemistry, toxicology, epidemiology, environmental science and engineering, clinical medicine, omic and data science, etc., is necessary. Such a comprehensive framework is key to unraveling the intricate connections between environmental exposures and human health. As we advance the frontiers of environmental and biomedical research, the exposome provides a critical pathway for understanding disease etiology, fostering personalized and preventive healthcare strategies, and offering a holistic view of the profound links between the environment and human health.

Topics & Concepts