About this Research Topic
It is well established that the present metabolic epidemic is caused by complex interplay between multiple genetic, behavioural and environmental factors. Over the last decade, significant breakthroughs have been made in the identification of genetic determinants, epigenetic mechanisms and biochemical networks that play important role in the pathophysiology of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related disorders. But despite recent progress, we are still unable to accurately predict an individual disease risk. A remaining gap in our knowledge is related to the environmental and lifestyle triggers that determine the development and onset of metabolic alterations. The recently proposed concept of the exposome refers to the totality of all life-course exposures from conception onwards. The exposomic research includes studies on both external (e.g. prenatal events, the exposures to different environmental agents, occupational, demographic and socioeconomic factors, stress, diets, behaviour, lifestyle, and social activities) and internal (e.g. genetic and epigenetic factors, physiology, proteomics and metabolomics) exposures and how those exposures jointly determine health and disease risks.
With this Research Topic, we aim to provide an overview on the multidisciplinary exposomic studies linked to metabolic disorders, with a major focus (but not limited to) on the research on the interplay between environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors and underlying epigenetic machinery in aetiology of obesity and type 2 diabetes. We encourage contributions to this topic, in the form of original research articles, short communication, review and opinion, addressing the major needs and challenges in the exposome research including:
- Epidemiological research investigating the exposomic profiles related to metabolic diseases
- Socioeconomic and demographic studies on different environmental exposures associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and related diseases
- Environment-gene interaction studies
- Studies linking external exposome data with ‘omics’ data, e.g. the studies of epigenetic and metabolic changes in response to different environmental and lifestyle influences
- Development of biomarkers for the measurements of relevant environmental exposure and for predicting disease development
- Advanced approaches and methodologies to analyse the impact of multiple exposures on disease susceptibility
Through the broad coverage of multidisciplinary studies in proposed Research Topic, we will highlight the current ‘state-of-the-art’ in the exposomic research.
With this Research Topic, we aim to provide an overview on the multidisciplinary exposomic studies linked to metabolic disorders, with a major focus (but not limited to) on the research on the interplay between environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors and underlying epigenetic machinery in aetiology of obesity and type 2 diabetes. We encourage contributions to this topic, in the form of original research articles, short communication, review and opinion, addressing the major needs and challenges in the exposome research including:
- Epidemiological research investigating the exposomic profiles related to metabolic diseases
- Socioeconomic and demographic studies on different environmental exposures associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and related diseases
- Environment-gene interaction studies
- Studies linking external exposome data with ‘omics’ data, e.g. the studies of epigenetic and metabolic changes in response to different environmental and lifestyle influences
- Development of biomarkers for the measurements of relevant environmental exposure and for predicting disease development
- Advanced approaches and methodologies to analyse the impact of multiple exposures on disease susceptibility
Through the broad coverage of multidisciplinary studies in proposed Research Topic, we will highlight the current ‘state-of-the-art’ in the exposomic research.
Keywords: Metabolic diseases, Obesity, Diabetes, Exposome, Gene-environmental interactions, Epigenetics
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
