In the information era, the dominant direction in the development of society is the organization of all processes and functions according to the principle of networks, open systems, consisting of interconnected nodes. Network medicine is developing intensively, networks of diseases are being created. Diseases and phenotypes that are considered targets for the treatment of comorbid diseases serve as nodes in the network medicine. The intestinal microbiota, which is connected with all the organs and systems of the host by numerous axes, ribs, and links, can become such a target. The purpose of the study was to analyze and generalize research results of the network paradigm in medicine. Material and methods. 45 literary sources (19 in Cyrillic and 26 Latin) on the issue under study were reviewed and critically analyzed. Results and discussion. The data analysis showed that of the 299 diseases that make up the network, 22 were only genetically related, the rest had wider connections at the molecular level in the interactome, multilayer network structure, including protein–protein networks, regulatory and metabolic networks. Human interaction includes at least 1000 metabolites and an indefinite amount of proteins, functional RNA molecules. The number of cellular elements that serve as interactome nodes reaches 100000 or more. The interactive approach is currently used in predictive medicine. Interactive networks of the host virus (influenza, hepatitis) interactions were built, and bacterial interactions were studied. The use of the principles of the network paradigm in medicine is based on a holistic approach to humans and their diseases. A systematic network approach to the analysis of human diseases can be implemented at the subcellular, cellular, organ, organismic and social levels. Network medicine uses the results of the doctor’s observations of the patient, studying the records of his/her illness, reveals the prospects for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention of comorbid diseases that have common network nodes. "Nodal therapy" is aimed at modulating or destroying the networks involved simultaneously in the regulation of several signaling pathways of the corresponding diseases. The intestinal microbiota, the set of microorganisms inhabiting the intestine, is considered as a decentralized distributed cooperative network structure, which is an independent prokaryotic organ in the holobiont body, can become the center of the microbiota–hairdryer–dysis network, and serve as a target in the treatment of comorbid diseases. Conclusions. The development of computer technologies for the analysis of complex biological systems, omix technologies contribute to the creation of a scaleless network of diseases, the central node of which will be the intestinal microbiota. The use of microbiota as a target in the treatment of comorbid diseases will open new paths to the combination of universal integrative medicine and P4 format – personalized, predictive, preventive and partner medicine.
Keywords: network medicine, nodal therapy, microbiota
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