Pub Date : 2024-05-23DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1419497
Luca Perico, Giuseppe Remuzzi
{"title":"COVID-19: the renaissance of science in the face of adversity","authors":"Luca Perico, Giuseppe Remuzzi","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1419497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1419497","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"9 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141106869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-23DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1236919
Simon Cauchemez, Giulio Cossu, Nathalie Delzenne, Eran Elinav, Didier Fassin, Alain Fischer, Thomas Hartung, Dipak Kalra, Mihai Netea, Johan Neyts, Rino Rappuoli, Mariagrazia Pizza, Melanie Saville, Pamela Tenaerts, Gerry Wright, Philippe Sansonetti, Michel Goldman
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated research and innovation across numerous fields of medicine. It emphasized how disease concepts must reflect dynamic and heterogeneous interrelationships between physical characteristics, genetics, co-morbidities, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic determinants of health throughout life. This article explores how scientists and other stakeholders must collaborate in novel, interdisciplinary ways at these new frontiers of medicine, focusing on communicable diseases, precision/personalized medicine, systems medicine, and data science. The pandemic highlighted the critical protective role of vaccines against current and emerging threats. Radical efficiency gains in vaccine development (through mRNA technologies, public and private investment, and regulatory measures) must be leveraged in the future together with continued innovation in the area of monoclonal antibodies, novel antimicrobials, and multisectoral, international action against communicable diseases. Inter-individual heterogeneity in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 prompted the development of targeted therapeutics. Beyond COVID-19, medicine will become increasingly personalized via advanced omics-based technologies and systems biology—for example targeting the role of the gut microbiome and specific mechanisms underlying immunoinflammatory diseases and genetic conditions. Modeling proved critical to strengthening risk assessment and supporting COVID-19 decision-making. Advanced computational analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) may help integrate epidemic modeling, clinical features, genomics, immune factors, microbiome data, and other anthropometric measures into a “systems medicine” approach. The pandemic also accelerated digital medicine, giving telehealth and digital therapeutics critical roles in health system resilience and patient care. New research methods employed during COVID-19, including decentralized trials, could benefit evidence generation and decision-making more widely. In conclusion, the future of medicine will be shaped by interdisciplinary multistakeholder collaborations that address complex molecular, clinical, and social interrelationships, fostering precision medicine while improving public health. Open science, innovative partnerships, and patient-centricity will be key to success.
{"title":"Standing the test of COVID-19: charting the new frontiers of medicine","authors":"Simon Cauchemez, Giulio Cossu, Nathalie Delzenne, Eran Elinav, Didier Fassin, Alain Fischer, Thomas Hartung, Dipak Kalra, Mihai Netea, Johan Neyts, Rino Rappuoli, Mariagrazia Pizza, Melanie Saville, Pamela Tenaerts, Gerry Wright, Philippe Sansonetti, Michel Goldman","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1236919","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1236919","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated research and innovation across numerous fields of medicine. It emphasized how disease concepts must reflect dynamic and heterogeneous interrelationships between physical characteristics, genetics, co-morbidities, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic determinants of health throughout life. This article explores how scientists and other stakeholders must collaborate in novel, interdisciplinary ways at these new frontiers of medicine, focusing on communicable diseases, precision/personalized medicine, systems medicine, and data science. The pandemic highlighted the critical protective role of vaccines against current and emerging threats. Radical efficiency gains in vaccine development (through mRNA technologies, public and private investment, and regulatory measures) must be leveraged in the future together with continued innovation in the area of monoclonal antibodies, novel antimicrobials, and multisectoral, international action against communicable diseases. Inter-individual heterogeneity in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 prompted the development of targeted therapeutics. Beyond COVID-19, medicine will become increasingly personalized via advanced omics-based technologies and systems biology—for example targeting the role of the gut microbiome and specific mechanisms underlying immunoinflammatory diseases and genetic conditions. Modeling proved critical to strengthening risk assessment and supporting COVID-19 decision-making. Advanced computational analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) may help integrate epidemic modeling, clinical features, genomics, immune factors, microbiome data, and other anthropometric measures into a “systems medicine” approach. The pandemic also accelerated digital medicine, giving telehealth and digital therapeutics critical roles in health system resilience and patient care. New research methods employed during COVID-19, including decentralized trials, could benefit evidence generation and decision-making more widely. In conclusion, the future of medicine will be shaped by interdisciplinary multistakeholder collaborations that address complex molecular, clinical, and social interrelationships, fostering precision medicine while improving public health. Open science, innovative partnerships, and patient-centricity will be key to success.","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"33 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141107897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-23DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1422583
Olusoji Adeyi, Prashant Yadav, Michel Kazatchkine
{"title":"Frontiers of medicine unveiled: equitable access is an imperative","authors":"Olusoji Adeyi, Prashant Yadav, Michel Kazatchkine","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1422583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1422583","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"22 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141106512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1397048
David M. Engelthaler
{"title":"Genomic surveillance and pathogen intelligence","authors":"David M. Engelthaler","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1397048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1397048","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"57 38","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140656556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1415415
Marion P. G. Koopmans
{"title":"Fast-forwarding collaborative surveillance","authors":"Marion P. G. Koopmans","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1415415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1415415","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"4 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140654078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-25DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1298248
Marc J. Struelens, Catherine Ludden, Guido Werner, V. Sintchenko, P. Jokelainen, Margaret Ip
This article advocates for mobilizing pathogen genomic surveillance to contain and mitigate health threats from infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), building upon successes achieved by large-scale genome sequencing analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants in guiding COVID-19 monitoring and public health responses and adopting a One Health approach. Capabilities of laboratory-based surveillance and epidemic alert systems should be enhanced by fostering (i) universal access to real-time whole genome sequence (WGS) data of pathogens to inform clinical practice, infection control, public health policies, and vaccine and antimicrobial drug research and development; (ii) integration of diagnostic microbiology data, data from testing asymptomatic individuals, pathogen sequence data, clinical data, and epidemiological data into surveillance programs; (iii) stronger cross-sectorial collaborations between healthcare, public health, animal health, and environmental surveillance and research using One Health approaches, toward understanding the ecology and transmission pathways of pathogens and AMR across ecosystems; (iv) international collaboration and interconnection of surveillance networks, harmonization of laboratory methods, and standardization of surveillance methods for global reporting, including on pathogen genomic variant or strain nomenclature; (v) responsible data sharing between surveillance networks, databases, and platforms according to FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) principles; and (vi) research on genomic surveillance system implementation and its cost-effectiveness for different pathogens and AMR threats across different settings. Regional and global One Health policies and governance initiatives should foster the concerted development and efficient utilization of pathogen genomic surveillance to protect the health of humans, animals, and the environment.
{"title":"Real-time genomic surveillance for enhanced control of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance","authors":"Marc J. Struelens, Catherine Ludden, Guido Werner, V. Sintchenko, P. Jokelainen, Margaret Ip","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1298248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1298248","url":null,"abstract":"This article advocates for mobilizing pathogen genomic surveillance to contain and mitigate health threats from infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), building upon successes achieved by large-scale genome sequencing analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants in guiding COVID-19 monitoring and public health responses and adopting a One Health approach. Capabilities of laboratory-based surveillance and epidemic alert systems should be enhanced by fostering (i) universal access to real-time whole genome sequence (WGS) data of pathogens to inform clinical practice, infection control, public health policies, and vaccine and antimicrobial drug research and development; (ii) integration of diagnostic microbiology data, data from testing asymptomatic individuals, pathogen sequence data, clinical data, and epidemiological data into surveillance programs; (iii) stronger cross-sectorial collaborations between healthcare, public health, animal health, and environmental surveillance and research using One Health approaches, toward understanding the ecology and transmission pathways of pathogens and AMR across ecosystems; (iv) international collaboration and interconnection of surveillance networks, harmonization of laboratory methods, and standardization of surveillance methods for global reporting, including on pathogen genomic variant or strain nomenclature; (v) responsible data sharing between surveillance networks, databases, and platforms according to FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) principles; and (vi) research on genomic surveillance system implementation and its cost-effectiveness for different pathogens and AMR threats across different settings. Regional and global One Health policies and governance initiatives should foster the concerted development and efficient utilization of pathogen genomic surveillance to protect the health of humans, animals, and the environment.","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"52 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140656493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-04DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1393167
S. Holgate
{"title":"The lived experience of immune-mediated noncommunicable diseases in relation to environmental change","authors":"S. Holgate","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1393167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1393167","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"30 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140744991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-04DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1279192
I. Agache, C. Akdis, M. Akdiş, Ali Al-Hemoud, Isabella Annesi-Maesano, John Balmes, Lorenzo Cecchi, Athanasios Damialis, T. Haahtela, Adam L. Haber, Jaime E. Hart, Marek Jutel, Yasutaka Mitamura, B. Mmbaga, Jae-Won Oh, Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh, R. Pawankar, M. Prunicki, Harald Renz, Mary B. Rice, Nelson Augusto Rosario Filho, V. Sampath, C. Skevaki, Francis Thien, C. Traidl‐Hoffmann, G. Wong, Kari C. Nadeau
Global warming and climate change have increased the pollen burden and the frequency and intensity of wildfires, sand and dust storms, thunderstorms, and heatwaves—with concomitant increases in air pollution, heat stress, and flooding. These environmental stressors alter the human exposome and trigger complex immune responses. In parallel, pollutants, allergens, and other environmental factors increase the risks of skin and mucosal barrier disruption and microbial dysbiosis, while a loss of biodiversity and reduced exposure to microbial diversity impairs tolerogenic immune development. The resulting immune dysregulation is contributing to an increase in immune-mediated diseases such as asthma and other allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. It is now abundantly clear that multisectoral, multidisciplinary, and transborder efforts based on Planetary Health and One Health approaches (which consider the dependence of human health on the environment and natural ecosystems) are urgently needed to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Key actions include reducing emissions and improving air quality (through reduced fossil fuel use), providing safe housing (e.g., improving weatherization), improving diets (i.e., quality and diversity) and agricultural practices, and increasing environmental biodiversity and green spaces. There is also a pressing need for collaborative, multidisciplinary research to better understand the pathophysiology of immune diseases in the context of climate change. New data science techniques, biomarkers, and economic models should be used to measure the impact of climate change on immune health and disease, to inform mitigation and adaptation efforts, and to evaluate their effectiveness. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) considerations should be integral to these efforts to address disparities in the impact of climate change.
{"title":"Immune-mediated disease caused by climate change-associated environmental hazards: mitigation and adaptation","authors":"I. Agache, C. Akdis, M. Akdiş, Ali Al-Hemoud, Isabella Annesi-Maesano, John Balmes, Lorenzo Cecchi, Athanasios Damialis, T. Haahtela, Adam L. Haber, Jaime E. Hart, Marek Jutel, Yasutaka Mitamura, B. Mmbaga, Jae-Won Oh, Abbas Ostadtaghizadeh, R. Pawankar, M. Prunicki, Harald Renz, Mary B. Rice, Nelson Augusto Rosario Filho, V. Sampath, C. Skevaki, Francis Thien, C. Traidl‐Hoffmann, G. Wong, Kari C. Nadeau","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1279192","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1279192","url":null,"abstract":"Global warming and climate change have increased the pollen burden and the frequency and intensity of wildfires, sand and dust storms, thunderstorms, and heatwaves—with concomitant increases in air pollution, heat stress, and flooding. These environmental stressors alter the human exposome and trigger complex immune responses. In parallel, pollutants, allergens, and other environmental factors increase the risks of skin and mucosal barrier disruption and microbial dysbiosis, while a loss of biodiversity and reduced exposure to microbial diversity impairs tolerogenic immune development. The resulting immune dysregulation is contributing to an increase in immune-mediated diseases such as asthma and other allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. It is now abundantly clear that multisectoral, multidisciplinary, and transborder efforts based on Planetary Health and One Health approaches (which consider the dependence of human health on the environment and natural ecosystems) are urgently needed to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Key actions include reducing emissions and improving air quality (through reduced fossil fuel use), providing safe housing (e.g., improving weatherization), improving diets (i.e., quality and diversity) and agricultural practices, and increasing environmental biodiversity and green spaces. There is also a pressing need for collaborative, multidisciplinary research to better understand the pathophysiology of immune diseases in the context of climate change. New data science techniques, biomarkers, and economic models should be used to measure the impact of climate change on immune health and disease, to inform mitigation and adaptation efforts, and to evaluate their effectiveness. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) considerations should be integral to these efforts to address disparities in the impact of climate change.","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140744692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-04DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1383921
Edward Maibach
{"title":"Accelerating the end of the fossil fuel era: a human and planetary health imperative and opportunity","authors":"Edward Maibach","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1383921","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1383921","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"44 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140743231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-04-04DOI: 10.3389/fsci.2024.1395850
Marsha Wills-Karp
{"title":"Climate change-associated health impacts: a way forward","authors":"Marsha Wills-Karp","doi":"10.3389/fsci.2024.1395850","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsci.2024.1395850","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101325,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in science","volume":"20 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140744030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}