Omics and Multi-Omics in IBD: No Integration, No Breakthroughs

The recent advent of sophisticated technologies like sequencing and mass spectroscopy platforms combined with artificial intelligence-powered analytic tools has initiated a new era of big data research in various complex diseases of still-undetermined cause and mechanisms. The investigation of these diseases was, until recently, limited to traditional in vitro and in vivo biological experimentation, but a clear switch to in silico methodologies is now under way. This review tries to provide a comprehensive assessment of state-of-the-art knowledge on omes, omics and multi-omics in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The notion and importance of omes, omics and multi-omics in both health and complex diseases like IBD is introduced, followed by a discussion of the various omics believed to be relevant to IBD pathogenesis, and how multi-omics big data can generate new insights translatable into useful clinical tools in IBD such as biomarker identification, prediction of remission and relapse, response to therapy, and precision medicine. The pitfalls and limitations of current IBD multi-omics studies are critically analyzed, revealing that, regardless of the types of omes being analyzed, the majority of current reports are still based on simple associations of descriptive retrospective data from cross-sectional patient cohorts rather than more powerful longitudinally collected prospective datasets. Given this limitation, some suggestions are provided on how IBD multi-omics data may be optimized for greater clinical and therapeutic benefit. The review concludes by forecasting the upcoming incorporation of multi-omics analyses in the routine management of IBD.

Automated summary

The recent advancements in technologies like sequencing and mass spectroscopy, combined with artificial intelligence-powered analytic tools, have revolutionized big data research in complex diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the current knowledge on omes, omics, and multi-omics in IBD, highlighting their importance in understanding disease mechanisms and potential clinical applications such as biomarker identification and precision medicine. The review also critically analyzes the limitations of current IBD multi-omics studies and suggests ways to optimize the use of multi-omics data for better clinical and therapeutic outcomes. Finally, the review predicts the future incorporation of multi-omics analyses in the routine management of IBD.