Systems Medicine Disease: Disease Classification and Scalability Beyond Networks and Boundary Conditions

Abstract

In order to accommodate the forthcoming wealth of health and disease related information, from genome to body sensors to population and the environment, the approach to disease description and definition demands re-examination. Traditional classification methods remain trapped by history; to provide the descriptive features that are required for a comprehensive description of disease, systems science, which realizes dynamic processes, adaptive response, and asynchronous communication channels, must be applied (Wolkenhauer et al., 2013). When Disease is viewed beyond the thresholds of lines and threshold boundaries, disease definition is not only the result of reductionist, mechanistic categories which reluctantly face re-composition. Disease is process and synergy as the characteristics of Systems Biology and Systems Medicine are included. To capture the wealth of information and contribute meaningfully to medical practice and biology research, Disease classification goes beyond a single spatial biologic level or static time assignment to include the interface of Disease process and organism response (Bechtel, 2017a; Green et al., 2017).

Classification of Intervertebral Disc Disease

“…Uniform disease definitions and systems of classification are vital tools in order to accurately diagnose patients, as well as to consistently document and report conditions in such a way that allows reliable scientific comparisons and future critique of related research. It is likely that the advancement of techniques such as genetic technology ultimately hold the key to more accurate disease categorization, by completing the path from genotype to phenotype ( 158 ). In the meantime, given the introduction of several new conditions related to the IVD to the veterinary literature in recent years, we have aimed to evaluate current systems of classification and terminology used to ensure consistent recording of IVDD types.…”

“…Most systems of disease classification in veterinary and human medicine have origins in historical methods used to document population disease and health statistics, and are usually based on pathological systems of categorization ( 158 ). As a result, traditional forms of IVDD classification have focused on degenerative IVDD and the differentiation between Hansen Type I and Hansen Type II IVD, using signalment, clinical presentation and histopathological features ( 5 , 12 , 159 ).…”

Progress in integrative systems biology, physiology and medicine: towards a scale-relative biology

“…Initial work using either category alone has demonstrated the ability to detect early deviations from normal individual states before appearance of clinical signs of disease onset [113,114]. These pioneering examples laid the foundation for the development of a "science of wellness", leveraging connected devices and advanced intelligence methods for data analysis and representation to support disease and health maps [115][116][117][118][119][120][121] raising novel challenges for disease definition and deployment of integrated care for both individuals and entire populations [122][123][124][125][126]. Thus, understanding biological systems and treating diseases can now be envisioned through the identification and manipulation of global perturbed networks rather than unique failing components.…”

Network and Systems Medicine: Position Paper of the European Collaboration on Science and Technology Action on Open Multiscale Systems Medicine

“…30 Systems biology focuses on basic mechanisms and principles in biology or on most translational preclinical research, but systems medicine aims at directly handling the challenges related to health and diseases. [31][32][33] In a way, it can also be considered as a modern advancement of physiology. So far, there is no consensus on the definition of systems medicine, an emergent and fast evolving field.…”