On March 13 the whitepaper ‘Exposome: connecting the dots for effective prevention of disease’ has been published.
Our (work) environment has an important, and potentially avoidable, impact on our health. In addition to genetic predisposition exposures and influences from our environment are important risk factors for many common diseases. However, knowledge about the combined and lifelong personal effects of these exposures is still limited. Mapping the ‘exposome’ – the totality of exposure a person experiences during his or her lifetime – can help to close this knowledge gap and enable the development of preventive measures.
It is still unclear how the total combination of exposures and external factors (the external exposome) is related to the biological response in the body (the internal exposome) and health. To date, new emerging technologies such as sensor technology, Internet of Things, omics and big data offer the opportunity to gain more insight into the external and internal exposome.
TNO thinks the time is right for a transition from basic research to the first applications. To facilitate and explore applied exposome research and to use this knowledge and technologies for prevention and improvement of personalized health applications, TNO has established the Applied Exposome Program. The white paper describes this program and TNO’s vision on the potential of the exposome for enhancing health. Additionally, the whitepaper emphasizes the need for an intensive collaboration between academia, applied research, private companies and end-users to accomplish substantial progress in prevention and health enhancement.
TNO would like to invite stakeholders to work with them on the opportunities the exposome offers.
contact: Paulien Bongers, Director of Science, Healthy Living TNO
