Biomimetics provides lessons from nature for contemporary ways to improve human health

Abstract

Homo sapiens is currently living in serious disharmony with the rest of the natural world. For our species to survive, and for our well-being, we must gather knowledge from multiple perspectives and actively engage in studies of planetary health. The enormous diversity of species, one of the most striking aspects of life on our planet, provides a source of solutions that have been developed through evolution by natural selection by animals living in extreme environments. The food system is central to finding solutions; our current global eating patterns have a negative impact on human health, driven climate change and loss of biodiversity. We propose that the use of solutions derived from nature, an approach termed biomimetics, could mitigate the effects of a changing climate on planetary health as well as human health. For example, activation of the transcription factor Nrf2 may play a role in protecting animals living in extreme environments, or animals exposed to heat stress, pollution and pesticides. In order to meet these challenges, we call for the creation of novel interdisciplinary planetary health research teams.

Keywords: Biomimetics; COVID-19; Nrf2; biodiversity; food systems; oxidative stress; planetary health.

Fig. 1.

Numerous life stressors activate the inflammatory intermediate phenotype associated with an imbalanced microbiota, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, which drive the risk of burden of lifestyle diseases that accumulate with age. Besides established risk factors, emerging evidence suggests factors that are related to our external environment, such as global warming, deforestation, pollution also increase the risk of burden of lifestyle diseases and contribute to inflammageing.

Fig. 2.

The “Great Oxygenation Event” set the stage for the evolutionary transition to the aerobe-dominated biota that still continues and the evolutionary origin of Nrf2. When living organisms were exposed to oxygen (released from photosynthetic cyanobacteria), a need emerged for protection against cell-damaging reactive oxygen species. The master switch and transcription factor Nrf2 emerged for cytoprotective activation with an inhibitor Keap1 that fine-tuned the activity of Nrf2. Based on studies in animal species, it can be hypothesised that superior anti-oxidant defence mechanisms with enhanced Nrf2 expression are protective and facilitate survival in extreme environments. Experiences from rare progeric diseases, such as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome and Nrf2 k/o mice stressed by space travel, imply a protective role of Nrf2 in aging. Given the association between depressed expression of Nrf2 and chronic burden of lifestyle diseases associated with inflammation and oxidative stress that accumulate with aging, nutrients targeting Nrf2, using “Food as Medicine“ [127], may have a positive effect on a cluster of burden of lifestyle diseases and planetary health. ROS, reactive oxygen species.

Fig. 3.

Selected examples of species that have provided clues for novel targets for “burden of life style” diseases, aging, alcoholism, COVID-19 and antibiotic resistance. CHF, congestive heart failure; DM, diabetes mellitus.

Fig. 4.

Direct or indirect mechanisms by which loss of biodiversity may affect human health.