The Neural Exposome

ONETOX | Neural Exposome and Toxicology Programs

NINDS Neural Exposome:

Supports research on exogenous, endogenous, and behavioral factors and performs basic, translational, and clinical neuroscience research through grants-in-aid, contracts, and scientific meetings.
Funds and conducts research training and career development programs to increase basic, translational and clinical neuroscience expertise and ensure a vibrant, talented, and diverse work force.
Promotes the timely dissemination of scientific discoveries and their implications for neurological health to the public, health professionals, researchers, and policy-makers.

It is widely acknowledged that most diseases and disorders cannot be attributed to genetic factors alone. Coined by Chris Paul Wild in 2005 (Wild, C.P. 2005 Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 14(8):1847-50), the term “exposome” describes the totality of internal and external exposures across the lifespan that affect human health. The “Neural Exposome” are those exposures that have an impact on neurological disease and disorders, and overall nervous system health. The exposures described in the exposome not only include environmental chemical and biological toxins, but also psychosocial factors and internal factors such as diet and the microbiome, and these exposures may occur anytime from in utero to late in life. A better understanding of how these exposomic factors interact with genes will lead to identifying more precise and effective intervention strategies, especially because many of the exposures are potentially modifiable.

Neural exposome figure displaying exogenous, endogenous, and behavioral factors exposures that have an impact on neurological disease and disorders, and overall nervous system health — Infographic displaying the three exposomic factors in large circles - Exogenous, Endogenous, and Behavioral - that have an impact on neurological disease and disorders, and overall nervous system health which is depicted by a brain graphic placed in the center of the three circles. Exogenous factors include environmental toxicants, light and noise, climate, ecosystems, and economics/eduction. Endogenous factors include genes/epigenetics, pre-existing conditions, metabolism, microbiome, and xenobiotics. Behavioral factors include psychological effects, drugs/alcohol/tobacco, lifestyle, sleep, and stress.

The overall goal of ONETOX is to enhance basic, translational, and clinical NIH research on the effect of the neural exposome on nervous system diseases and disorders by fostering more collaborative research within the neuroscience research community. ONETOX provides information and tools to help break down barriers to research between different scientific disciplines which can be used to establish productive team science for targeted funding opportunities. Because of the large number and different kinds of exposures within the Neural Exposome that occur across the lifespan, ONETOX collaborates with many different Institutes and Centers across the NIH to obtain a full understanding of how these exposomic factors affect brain and nervous system health.

Tamiz AP, Koroshetz WJ, Dhruv NT, Jett DA (2022)
A focus on the neural exposome.
Neuron, 110:1286-1289. PubMed ID: 35349785