The promise of preventative medicine took a significant leap forward this week with the launch of ORIGIN, a sweeping research initiative spearheaded by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The ambitious project aims to predict and ultimately prevent the onset of debilitating diseases – from cancer and autoimmune disorders to neurodegenerative conditions and PTSD – years before symptoms manifest. This groundbreaking effort, a collaboration with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF), could fundamentally reshape how we approach healthcare, moving from reactive treatment to proactive prevention.
ORIGIN, which stands for “Omics to Characterize Preclinical Stages of Non-Infectious Diseases,” will analyze stored blood samples from up to 13,000 active-duty U.S. Service members, collected routinely over years, using a suite of advanced molecular tools. These “omics” technologies – including proteomics, exposomics, metabolomics, and genomics – will allow researchers to identify subtle biological changes that signal the early stages of disease development. The ultimate goal is to map the molecular pathways leading to illness and develop targeted interventions to alter that course, offering a modern era of personalized, preventative care.
A Unique Resource: The Military’s Longitudinal Health Data
A key component of ORIGIN’s potential lies in the unique resource provided by the U.S. Military. Service members undergo comprehensive and consistent health monitoring from the time of enlistment, creating an unparalleled longitudinal medical record. The Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) holds millions of these blood samples, many collected a decade or more before any illness emerges, offering researchers a rare opportunity to study the preclinical phases of disease. “The DoDSR holds serial blood samples from millions of service members, many collected a decade or more before any illness emerged. For researchers, this is a scientific treasure,” researchers noted.
This wealth of data allows ORIGIN to tackle questions previously unanswerable, such as identifying what happens in the body five years before a lupus diagnosis, or pinpointing the molecular changes that precede early-onset colon cancer – a disease increasingly affecting younger adults – by three years. Researchers will likewise investigate how environmental exposures common to military service, like burn pits and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), impact biological processes and contribute to disease risk. PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” have been found at over 700 U.S. Military sites, according to the initiative’s description.
Breaking Down Silos with the PrIISM Approach
ORIGIN’s structure is as innovative as its scientific goals. The project is powered by the Precision Immunology Institute at Mount Sinai (PrIISM), designed to overcome the traditional barriers between medical specialties. Ten departments across the Mount Sinai Health System are collaborating, bringing together cardiologists, immunologists, neurologists, oncologists, environmental scientists, and data scientists to identify shared biological pathways across a wide range of conditions.
“ORIGIN is exactly the kind of bold, boundary-breaking science that PrIISM was built to support,” said Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, Director, PrIISM, and Mount Sinai’s Co-Principal Investigator for ORIGIN. “By uniting 10 departments and bridging the worlds of military medicine and academic research, we are creating something entirely new—a molecular atlas of how disease begins.”
From IBD Research to a Broad Spectrum of Diseases
The foundation for ORIGIN was laid over a decade ago, when researchers from Mount Sinai began collaborating with USU to study inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in military personnel. This earlier work, utilizing the DoDSR, successfully identified molecular signals in the blood that appeared years before IBD was diagnosed. Jean-Frédéric Colombel, MD, Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) and Co-Director of The Helmsley Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Co-Principal Investigator for ORIGIN, expressed the long-held ambition driving this research: “For years, we have dreamed of being able to inform a patient: ‘We see this coming, and here is what People can do about it.’”
ORIGIN dramatically expands on this initial success. Rather than focusing on a single disease, the project will simultaneously study over 25 conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, neurodegenerative diseases, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), colon cancer, lung cancer, and heart failure.
The men and women warfighters of this country deserve cutting-edge medical care. Our collaboration with Mount Sinai directly advances our USU mission to support the readiness, health, and well-being of our military community, using the unparalleled resource of the DoD Serum Repository to decode the early biology of chronic diseases. The insights from ORIGIN will help us protect service members today and advance medicine for decades to come.
Daniel J. Adams, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at USU and USU’s Principal Investigator for ORIGIN
The study, which will analyze samples collected between October 2003 and September 2025, is expected to run for at least 10 years. Researchers anticipate that the findings will have a profound impact on clinical guidelines, drug development, and public health policy. The potential benefits extend far beyond the military community, offering hope for earlier detection and prevention of diseases increasingly prevalent among younger Americans, such as early-onset colon cancer, PTSD, and Crohn’s disease.
Disclaimer: This article provides information for general knowledge and informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. It is essential to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns or before making any decisions related to your health or treatment.
The next step for the ORIGIN initiative involves the detailed analysis of the collected blood samples, a process expected to yield initial findings within the next few years. Researchers will continue to refine their understanding of the molecular signatures of disease, paving the way for the development of targeted preventative strategies. Share your thoughts on this groundbreaking research in the comments below.
