Network and systems medicine: Position paper of the European Collaboration on Science and Technology action on Open Multiscale Systems Medicine

Network and systems medicine has rapidly evolved over the last decade, thanks to computational and integrative tools, which stem in part from systems biology.
However, major challenges and hurdles are still present concerning validation and translation into clinical application and decision-making for precision medicine. In this context, the Collaboration on Science and Technology (COST) action on Open Multiscale Systems Medicine (OpenMultiMed) reviewed the available advanced technologies for multidimensional data generation and integration in an open-science approach as well as key clinical applications of network and systems medicine and the main issues and opportunities for the future. The development of multi-omic approaches as well as new digital tools provides a unique opportunity to explore complex biological systems and networks at different scales. Moreover, the application of FAIR (Findable, Applicable, Interoperable and Reusable) principles and adoption of standards increases data availability and sharing for multiscale integration and interpretation. These innovations have led to first clinical applications of network and systems medicine particularly in the field of personalized therapy and drug dosing. Enlarging network and systems medicine application would now imply to increase patient engagement and healthcare providers as well as to educate the novel generations of medical doctors and biomedical researchers to shift the current organ- and symptom-based medical concepts towards network- and systems-based ones for more precise diagnoses, interventions and ideally prevention. In this dynamic, the healthcare system will also have to evolve if not revolutionize in terms of organization and management.