title: Systems medicine: a new approach to clinical practice.
abstract: Most respiratory diseases are considered complex diseases as their susceptibility and outcomes are determined by the interaction between host-dependent factors (genetic factors, comorbidities, etc.) and environmental factors (exposure to microorganisms or allergens, treatments received, etc.) The reductionist approach in the study of diseases has been of fundamental importance for the understanding of the different components of a system. Systems biology or systems medicine is a complementary approach aimed at analyzing the interactions between the different components within one organizational level (genome, transcriptome, proteome), and then between the different levels. Systems medicine is currently used for the interpretation and understanding of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of different diseases, biomarker discovery, design of innovative therapeutic targets, and the drawing up of computational models for different biological processes. In this review we discuss the most relevant concepts of the theory underlying systems medicine, as well as its applications in the various biological processes in humans.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Madrid, España; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cardinal-Fernández
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, España; Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario de Torrejón, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nin
authors.affiliation: CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, España; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, España; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruíz-Cabello
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Madrid, España; CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, España; Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, España. Electronic address: joseangel.lorente@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lorente
mesh_terms: D015510:Clinical Medicine; D006801:Humans; D055432:Metabolomics; D049490:Systems Biology; D013598:Systems Theory
keywords: Acute respiratory failure; Biología de sistemas; Insuficiencia respiratoria aguda; Medicina de sistemas; Medicina pulmonar; Pulmonary medicine; Systems biology; Systems medicine