Modernizing the Natural History of Disease Research

The term natural history of disease refers to the progression of a disease process in an individual over time, in the absence of any treatment or intervention, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Being able to not just understand, but also accurately and holistically track the natural history of a disease is fundamentally important in order to assess the efficacy and safety of preventive or therapeutic intervention. In other words, without understanding the course and pathways of disease, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to define the endpoints of a novel therapy that can be evaluated through clinical research. And form the basis for safe and effective therapies.