Systematic Review of High-Dimensional Omics in Mind-Body Medicine

Abstract

The multi-dimensional measurement of complex biological systems and sub-systems is made possible by high-dimensional omics technologies. This frontier of research is promising for elucidating disease processes, physiological parameters, and therapeutic action mechanisms. Omics have potential merit for the integrative medicine field that is relatively early in terms of mechanistic research towards understanding the underlining therapeutic processes of mind-body interventions that show to affect multiple systems simultaneously. An inflammatory theory of disease has brought to light molecular and epidemiological evidence proposing that inflammation could be considered a unitary predictor across most disease typologies which may be treated as a central clinical entity. Relatively recent theorizations of disease have built upon epigenetic data showing that complex “interactomes”, or disease networks where genetic factors that have downward chain effects on transcriptional, proteomic domains, dynamically modulate in response to environmental, microbial, and immunological domains. Thus, complex conditions underlined by interactive disease networks and dynamics essentially require complex multi-levelled interventions. This is particularly germane for complex patient cases often seen in the integrative medicine clinic. Mind-body medicine may be part of such care programs that can be made accessible for all. To shed further light on the possibility of building the evidence base in integrative health towards this direction, we reviewed the current use of omics technologies in mind-body medicine within the last 5-years. Use of omics approaches within the field is still developing. Early findings appear to show beneficial impact upon genomic, transcriptional, and proteomic biomarkers across varied chronic inflammatory conditions, including disorders of the cardiovascular, central nervous, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, and respiratory, systems.