Our environment and daily habits directly shape our lung health. On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, the 3rd edition of the Exposome Congress was held in Nice a landmark event organized by CLEF in close collaboration with IHU RespirERA.
Chaired by Professor Paul Hofman, this gathering brought together experts from IHU RespirERA alongside leading speakers such as Prof. Alexis Cortot (Head of Pulmonology at Lille University Hospital and President of the IFCT), Prof. Amine Benyamina (Head of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at APHP and President of the French Society of Addictology), and Prof. Antoine Magnan (Head of Pulmonology at Foch Hospital), as well as Franck Mouthon and Aurélie Marel, respectively Executive Director and Priority Program Coordinator of the Health Research Program Agency (APRS).
Together, they explored the complex impact of the exposome on our lungs, with a particular focus on the consequences of various types of addiction.
Understanding lung vulnerability
The central challenge of this day was to decipher how our consumption behaviors interact with our environment to promote the onset of pathologies. The experts shared rigorous research on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that modulate each individual's vulnerability to inhaled substances. These exchanges provided a better understanding of the direct effects of drugs on the respiratory tract and integrated these behaviors into a global vision of clinical care.
Screens and vaping: the new challenges of modernity
Particular attention was paid to new threats facing public health. While the dangers of tobacco are extensively documented, the congress highlighted the often underestimated risks of vaping. Professor Paul Hofman pointed out that e-cigarette use can induce irreversible respiratory damage, requiring increased vigilance, particularly among young people. At the same time, the impact of digital addiction on respiratory health was addressed as a modern and unexpected component of our daily environment.
Prevention and innovation at the heart of strategies
Facing these challenges, IHU RespirERA reaffirms its mission as a center of excellence for medical innovation. The day served to consolidate innovative prevention approaches, creating synergies between fundamental research, clinical practice, and institutional stakeholders.
IHU RespirERA is also involved in the development of prevention through the PREVACTION program. Supported by the Health Research Program Agency (APRS), this national program is a true catalyst for proactive and predictive medicine. It relies on the analysis of massive data (cohorts, biobanks, etc.) to early identify at-risk populations before the onset of the first symptoms and to develop predictive biomarkers. PREVACTION also aims to deploy prevention strategies, particularly to anticipate and reduce respiratory risks related to the exposome. This framework complements advances in precision medicine, such as the IMPULSION early screening project.
This congress established itself as a landmark event for the scientific community, providing both professionals and families with a reliable and rigorous framework to durably protect everyone's health capital.
