Applying systems biology methods to the study of human physiology in extreme environments

Edwards, Lindsay M.; Thiele, Ines

doi:10.1186/2046-7648-2-8

Cited by 28 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…This month in Extreme Physiology & Medicine , Lindsay Edwards and Ines Thiele review the application of systems biology methods to the study of human integrative physiology, with particular focus on applications relating to conditions of environmental stress [5]. Edwards and Thiele define systems biology as ‘an iterative process of computational model-building and experimental model-revision with the aim of understanding or simulating complex biological systems’.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrative physiology and systems biology: reductionism, emergence and causality

Grocott

2013

Extrem Physiol Med

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrative physiology and systems biology: reductionism, emergence and causality

Grocott

2013

Extrem Physiol Med

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“…A subfield of exercise metabolomics, termed "sportomics," will translate metabolite markers associated with the metabolic challenges of exercise training and competition to similar stresses occurring in disease settings (Bassini and Cameron 2014). Moreover, systems-based approaches studying extreme environments (e.g., high altitude [Edwards and Thiele 2013]) will reveal important aspects of physiological adaptations relevant to health and athletic performance.…”

Section: Metabolome and Lipidomementioning

confidence: 99%

Omics and Exercise: Global Approaches for Mapping Exercise Biological Networks

Hoffman

2017

Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med

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The application of global "-omics" technologies to exercise has introduced new opportunities to map the complexity and interconnectedness of biological networks underlying the tissue-specific responses and systemic health benefits of exercise. This review will introduce major research tracks and recent advancements in this emerging field, as well as critical gaps in understanding the orchestration of molecular exercise dynamics that will benefit from unbiased omics investigations. Furthermore, significant research hurdles that need to be overcome to effectively fill these gaps related to data collection, computation, interpretation, and integration across omics applications will be discussed. Collectively, a cross-disciplinary physiological and omics-based systems approach will lead to discovery of a wealth of novel exercise-regulated targets for future mechanistic validation. This frontier in exercise biology will aid the development of personalized therapeutic strategies to improve athletic performance and human health through precision exercise medicine.T he dynamic human physiological responses to exercise have been widely studied in the context of metabolism and mechanical stress. Health benefits of exercise in prevention, delay, and/or treatment of pathophysiology associated with metabolic disorders and aging are widely appreciated. However, the intricacies of molecular networks and biological mechanisms underlying how humans adapt to exercise and acquire health benefits are not fully understood. In response to perturbations in whole-body homeostasis induced by physical activity and exercise, biological networks are stimulated in various cell types and organs to manage systemic metabolic and mechanical demands (Hawley et al. 2014). Targeted, reductionist-based approaches have laid the foundation for our understanding of distinct biological mechanisms regulating acute versus repeated exercise adaptations using a range of experimental models from cells to animals and humans. However, the complexity and integrated nature of the whole-body exercise response warrants global unbiased systems approaches to unravel the interwoven networks underlying the benefits of exercise in health and disease.In this early stage of the exercise and omics revolution, there is a wealth of molecular information now within reach to help build on our understanding of human metabolism and exercise physiology. There is tremendous potential for omics approaches to fill critical gaps in our

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“…Pragmatic definitions of systems biology (Ideker et al . ; Edwards & Thiele, ) supplement the non‐reductionist philosophy with the inclusion of the methods used ‘at the coal face’, thus distinguishing systems biology both from integrative physiology as well as (for example) purely method‐driven efforts like high‐content screening. Further, systems biology must now be viewed as a component of a larger life sciences (and medical) ‘informatics ecosystem’ (Fig.…”

Section: What Is Systems Biology?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolic systems biology: a brief primer

Edwards

2017

The Journal of Physiology

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In the early to mid-20th century, reductionism as a concept in biology was challenged by key thinkers, including Ludwig von Bertalanffy. He proposed that living organisms were specific examples of complex systems and, as such, they should display characteristics including hierarchical organisation and emergent behaviour. Yet the true study of complete biological systems (for example, metabolism) was not possible until technological advances that occurred 60 years later. Technology now exists that permits the measurement of complete levels of the biological hierarchy, for example the genome and transcriptome. The complexity and scale of these data require computational models for their interpretation. The combination of these - systems thinking, high-dimensional data and computation - defines systems biology, typically accompanied by some notion of iterative model refinement. Only sequencing-based technologies, however, offer full coverage. Other 'omics' platforms trade coverage for sensitivity, although the densely connected nature of biological networks suggests that full coverage may not be necessary. Systems biology models are often characterised as either 'bottom-up' (mechanistic) or 'top-down' (statistical). This distinction can mislead, as all models rely on data and all are, to some degree, 'middle-out'. Systems biology has matured as a discipline, and its methods are commonplace in many laboratories. However, many challenges remain, especially those related to large-scale data integration.

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Applying systems biology methods to the study of human physiology in extreme environments

Cited by 28 publications

References 73 publications

Integrative physiology and systems biology: reductionism, emergence and causality

Integrative physiology and systems biology: reductionism, emergence and causality

Omics and Exercise: Global Approaches for Mapping Exercise Biological Networks

Metabolic systems biology: a brief primer

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