“Omics” in traumatic brain injury: novel approaches to a complex disease

Abstract

Background To date, there is neither any pharmacological treatment with efficacy in traumatic brain injury (TBI) nor any method to halt the disease progress. This is due to an incomplete understanding of the vast complexity of the biological cascades and failure to appreciate the diversity of secondary injury mechanisms in TBI. In recent years, techniques for high-throughput characterization and quantification of biological molecules that include genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have evolved and referred to as omics. Methods In this narrative review, we highlight how omics technology can be applied to potentiate diagnostics and prognostication as well as to advance our understanding of injury mechanisms in TBI. Results The omics platforms provide possibilities to study function, dynamics, and alterations of molecular pathways of normal and TBI disease states. Through advanced bioinformatics, large datasets of molecular information from small biological samples can be analyzed in detail and provide valuable knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms, to include in prognostic modeling when connected to clinically relevant data. In such a complex disease as TBI, omics enables broad categories of studies from gene compositions associated with susceptibility to secondary injury or poor outcome, to potential alterations in metabolites following TBI. Conclusion The field of omics in TBI research is rapidly evolving. The recent data and novel methods reviewed herein may form the basis for improved precision medicine approaches, development of pharmacological approaches, and individualization of therapeutic efforts by implementing mathematical “big data” predictive modeling in the near future.

Neuroinflammation and acquired traumatic CNS injury: a mini review

“…By identifying gene expression patterns, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic signatures associated with neuroinflammation, a deeper understanding of new and novel pathways may be revealed. As such, AI-powered predictive models can help assess treatment responses and prognosis, and support the categorization of neuroinflammatory endophenotypes in brain trauma (48)(49)(50). Further, neuromodulation techniques or non-invasive approaches including focused ultrasound, are being explored to directly influence the activity of neuroimmune cells within the CNS (51).…”

Polypathologies and Animal Models of Traumatic Brain Injury

“…Advancing our understanding of TBI through 'omics' such as genomics and transcriptomics is an important consideration but one that remains in its infancy. A recent review notes that one of the limitations is the statistical challenges associated with analysing vast quantities of data from the diverse cohort of TBI-affected individuals, who present with extensive and variable pathology [71]. However, our ability to interpret 'omics' data accurately and reliably is improving, and we can continue to use the data to assess the ability of animal models to recapitulate the human response to TBI.…”

Management and Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injuries

“…Additionally frequently utilized to treat individuals with intracranial brain injuries is hyperosmotic treatment. The use of omics technologies can also potentiate prognosis and diagnostics, as well as enhance our understanding of the injury mechanisms behind traumatic brain injury [ 41 ].…”