PLoS Computational Biology (Nov 2009)

Nutritional systems biology modeling: from molecular mechanisms to physiology.

  • Albert A de Graaf,
  • Andreas P Freidig,
  • Baukje De Roos,
  • Neema Jamshidi,
  • Matthias Heinemann,
  • Johan A C Rullmann,
  • Kevin D Hall,
  • Martin Adiels,
  • Ben van Ommen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000554
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 11
p. e1000554

Abstract

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The use of computational modeling and simulation has increased in many biological fields, but despite their potential these techniques are only marginally applied in nutritional sciences. Nevertheless, recent applications of modeling have been instrumental in answering important nutritional questions from the cellular up to the physiological levels. Capturing the complexity of today's important nutritional research questions poses a challenge for modeling to become truly integrative in the consideration and interpretation of experimental data at widely differing scales of space and time. In this review, we discuss a selection of available modeling approaches and applications relevant for nutrition. We then put these models into perspective by categorizing them according to their space and time domain. Through this categorization process, we identified a dearth of models that consider processes occurring between the microscopic and macroscopic scale. We propose a "middle-out" strategy to develop the required full-scale, multilevel computational models. Exhaustive and accurate phenotyping, the use of the virtual patient concept, and the development of biomarkers from "-omics" signatures are identified as key elements of a successful systems biology modeling approach in nutrition research--one that integrates physiological mechanisms and data at multiple space and time scales.