28 April 2023
Exposome research has emerged as a cutting-edge field for investigating human health and disease using big-data techniques, smart sensors, and multi-omics technologies. However, despite its potential benefits, the ethical considerations surrounding exposome research have not been widely discussed in the literature. To address this gap, PhD student and EXPANSE researcher Caspar Safarlou (UMC Utrecht) and colleagues conducted a systematic review of academic literature to explore the ethical aspects of exposome research. Their search yielded nine articles, none of which delved deeply into the ethics of exposome research.
By systematically evaluating related fields, the researchers identified five ethical themes that frequently arise in discussions of exposome research, including its goals, standards, tools, impact on participants, and consequences of its products. They identified three aspects of exposome research that require further ethical reflection, including the actionability of its findings, epidemiological or clinical norms, and potential for bias.
The environment we live in has a dominant impact on our health. It explains an estimated seventy percent of the chronic disease burden. Where we live, what we eat, how much we exercise, the air we breathe and whom we associate with; all of these environmental factors play a role. The combination of these factors over the life course is called the exposome. There is general (scientific) consensus that understanding more about the exposome will help explain the current burden of disease and that it provides entry points for prevention and ...
Read More
