Systems Pathology

Synonyms

Clinical systems pathology; Predictive pathology; Systems histopathology

Definition

Systems pathology is the study of disease through the integration of clinical, morphological, quantitative, and molecular parameters using mathematical analytical frameworks. The aim is to create coherent models which enable the understanding of pathophysiological processes in their entirety and generate hypotheses that can be tested experimentally. In practice, systems pathology aims to personalized therapy and predictive outcomes for patients (Personalized Medicine; Predictive Medicine).

Characteristics

Pathology is the study of mechanisms and diagnosis of disease and is the basis of all components of Laboratory Medicine including hematology, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, and anatomic/histopathology. The word pathology comes from the Ancient Greek πάθος, pathos, “feeling, suffering”; and -λογία, -logia, “the study of.” Pathology addresses four main components of disease,...