The Virtual Physiological Human: The Physiome Project Aims to Develop Reproducible, Multiscale Models for Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Bioengineering
• Systems Biology

Background:

• Physiology's central role in medicine diminished due to molecular biology's rise.
• Molecular biology, while important, has limited direct impact on disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Environmental and physical factors significantly influence molecular processes like genetic transcription and protein expression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To re-establish physiology's importance by integrating multiscale engineering modeling.
• To interpret the vast amount of molecular data becoming available.
• To bridge the gap between molecular biology and the physical/environmental influences on biological systems.

Main Methods:

• Application of multiscale engineering modeling approaches.
• Physiological interpretation of molecular data.
• Integration of environmental and physical factors into biological models.

Main Results:

• Development of integrative approaches to understand physiological systems.
• Demonstration of engineering's role in reassembling biological complexity.
• Highlighting the limitations of purely molecular approaches in understanding disease.

Conclusions:

• The Physiome Project is crucial for advancing physiological understanding through engineering.
• Bioengineering provides essential tools for integrating molecular data with broader biological context.
• Restoring physiology's central role is vital for medical advancements.