The exposome represents a comprehensive record of all environmental, biological, and lifestyle-related factors that individuals encounter from preconception onwards. This framework is crucial for understanding the interactions among these diverse exposures and biological systems, particularly in their role in modulating immune function and contributing to the etiology and progression of autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity, characterized by the immune system's aberrant response against self-antigens, results from a complex interplay of genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers. Traditional research has often focused on a "one exposure, one disease" paradigm, which limits our understanding of the multifactorial nature of autoimmune diseases. Recent studies have highlighted the need for an integrative exposomics approach to better understand the cumulative and synergistic effects of multiple exposures on autoimmune disease risk and progression. Despite these advancements, there remains a significant gap in our understanding of how various external, personal, and internal factors interact with the immune system, necessitating further research and standardization of methodologies within the exposomics field.
This research topic aims to elucidate the critical role of the exposome in the pathogenesis and modulation of autoimmune diseases across the lifespan. The primary objective is to advance our understanding of how various external (environmental), personal (lifestyle), and internal factors, such as infections, meteorological factors, pollution, diet, physical activity, sleep, circadian rhythms, stress, smoking, hormones, and the microbiota, interact with the immune system. Additionally, this research topic seeks to foster the standardization of research methodologies within the exposomics field, encouraging contributions that provide novel insights, detailed exposomics studies, and technological innovations. By facilitating the exchange of knowledge among diverse research groups, this special issue aims to deepen our understanding of the exposome’s impact on autoimmunity and promote the development of targeted prevention and intervention strategies.
To gather further insights into the exposome's impact on autoimmunity, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: - Exposomics and autoimmunity - Epigenetic research linking the exposome to autoimmune responses - The significance of exposome factors in early life and their long-term autoimmune outcomes - Exposome and specific autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, autoimmune thyroiditis) - Cohort studies on the effect of the exposome on the development and progression of autoimmune diseases - Diet and specific nutritional factors in relation to autoimmunity - Impact of physical activity and exercise on autoimmune diseases - Sleep and circadian rhythms and their influence on autoimmune diseases - The effects of stress on autoimmunity - The role of smoking in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases - Pollution and xenobiotics and their impact on autoimmunity - The role of infections in autoimmune diseases - The impact of meteorological factors on autoimmunity - The role of hormones in autoimmunity - The impact of the microbiota in autoimmune diseases - Innovative methods for the characterization and quantification of the exposome in relation to autoimmunity - Comprehensive reviews and original research articles on all aspects of exposome and autoimmunity
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Clinical Trial
Conceptual Analysis
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
