Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Polyfunctionality and Heterogeneity in Immune Responses
09:43

Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Polyfunctionality and Heterogeneity in Immune Responses

Published on: March 8, 2024

1.7K

Homeostasis imbalance process ontology: a study on COVID-19 infectious processes

Yuki Yamagata1,2, Tatsuya Kushida3, Shuichi Onami4,5

  • 1Life Science Data Sharing Unit, Infrastructure Research and Development Division, RIKEN Information R&D and Strategy Headquarters, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan. yuki.yamagata@riken.jp.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
|May 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces the Homeostasis Imbalance Process (HoIP) ontology to systematically describe COVID-19 infection mechanisms. HoIP provides a unified framework for understanding viral processes, aiding in drug development and identifying at-risk patients.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Informatics
  • Systems Biology
  • Ontology Engineering

Background:

  • Understanding COVID-19's complex infectious mechanisms and diverse symptoms remains a significant challenge.
  • A consistent framework is urgently needed to capture the intricacies of viral processes and clinical manifestations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematize COVID-19 infectious processes using an ontological approach.
  • To provide a unified description framework for causal relationships in COVID-19 infection.
  • To support drug development and identify patients at severe risk.

Main Methods:

  • Developed the Homeostasis Imbalance Process (HoIP) ontology.
  • Applied ontological reasoning to analyze COVID-19 infection pathways.
  • Distinguished viral demands from immune responses within the HoIP framework.

Main Results:

  • Systematized COVID-19 infectious processes from initial infection to severe disease.
  • Provided a unified description of causal relationships based on homeostasis imbalance.
  • Enabled differentiation between viral functional demands and immune defense processes.
  • Demonstrated the utility of ontological reasoning in identifying high-risk patients.

Conclusions:

  • The HoIP ontology organizes knowledge of COVID-19 processes, molecules, drugs, and symptoms.
  • HoIP offers a consistent descriptive framework for heterogeneous biological processes.
  • Expected to enhance interoperability of COVID-19 knowledge through collaborative efforts.
Abstract

Keywords:
COVID-19Homeostasis imbalanceInfectious processKnowledge systematizationOntology

More Related Videos

Contact-Free Co-Culture Model for the Study of Innate Immune Cell Activation During Respiratory Virus Infection07:36

Contact-Free Co-Culture Model for the Study of Innate Immune Cell Activation During Respiratory Virus Infection

Published on: February 28, 2021

2.9K
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses03:53

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses

Published on: November 10, 2023

1.1K

Related Concept Videos

Homeostatic Imbalance01:10

Homeostatic Imbalance

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment within the body, which is crucial for the proper functioning of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. The body has various control mechanisms that work together to regulate various physiological parameters such as temperature, blood pressure, pH balance, and fluid balance, to name a few. These control mechanisms are based on feedback loops that can be either positive or negative.
However, sometimes these feedback loops fail,...
22.7K
Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature01:19

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...
121
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection01:26

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
11.8K
What is Homeostasis?01:16

What is Homeostasis?

Maintaining homeostasis requires that the body continuously maintain its internal conditions. Each physiological condition has a particular set point, from body temperature to blood pressure to levels of certain nutrients. A set point is the physiological value around which the normal range fluctuates. A normal range is a restricted set of values that is optimally healthful and stable. For example, the set point for normal human body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F).
37.4K
Acid-Base Balance01:25

Acid-Base Balance

The human body maintains a narrow pH range regulated through acid-base balance. This balance is crucial as changes in the hydrogen ion concentration can disrupt cell membrane stability, alter protein structures, and change enzyme activities. The normal pH of arterial blood is 7.4, venous blood and interstitial fluid is 7.35, and intracellular fluid averages 7.0.
When the pH of arterial blood rises above 7.45, it results in a condition called alkalosis. Conversely, a drop below 7.35 leads to...
385
Disorders of Acid-Base Balance01:29

Disorders of Acid-Base Balance

The human body maintains a precise pH range of arterial blood between 7.35 and 7.45. Deviations result in either acidosis (pH < 7.35) or alkalosis (pH > 7.45). These conditions are further classified as respiratory or metabolic disorders based on their underlying cause.
Respiratory Acidosis and Alkalosis
Respiratory acidosis occurs due to an increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide PCO2 in the blood. It often arises from shallow breathing or impaired gas exchange caused by...
186