Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have achieved great success in identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, herein called genetic variants) and genes associated with risk of developing prostate cancer.
However, GWAS do not typically link the genetic variants to the disease state or inform the broader context in which the genetic variants operate. Here, we present a novel integrative genomics approach that combines GWAS information with gene expression data to infer the causal association between gene expression and the disease and to identify the network states and biological pathways enriched for genetic variants. We identified gene regulatory networks and biological pathways enriched for genetic variants, including the prostate cancer, IGF-1, JAK2, androgen, and prolactin signaling pathways. The integration of GWAS information with gene expression data provides insights about the broader context in which genetic variants associated with an increased risk of developing prostate cancer operate.
Written by:
Hicks C, Koganti T, Giri S, Tekere M, Ramani R, Sitthi-Amorn J, Vijayakumar S. Are you the author?
Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia; Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, UNISA Florida Campus, Florida, South Africa; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Reference: Biomark Insights. 2014 Jun 29;9:39-51.
doi: 10.4137/BMI.S13729
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25057237
