Network biology and disease research

Heo Hyoung-Sam, Cho Seong Beom
Division of Bio-Medical Informatics, Center for Genome Science, KNIH, KCDC

The functional identification of biological molecules at the system level is known as systems biology, which aims to uncover biological mechanisms through analysis of the biological elements within a system by identifying the connectivity of a large number of variables involved in a particular biological phenomenon. Systems biology is a field of research that identifies relationships among biological molecules such as genes and proteins, and incorporates the relationships and interpretations at the system level. One of the most effective methods that can model the interactions among biological molecules is network biology.
Multiple genes and their interactions are involved in disease mechanisms. This network biological view of disease pathology is now beginning to guide translational research. Network-based methods play several roles in disease research, such as (1) prioritizing disease-related genes, (2) identifying the disease module, and (3) stratification of complex diseases. In this review, we introduce the basic concepts of network science and network biology, and discuss the application of network biological approaches in disease research.

Keywords: Bioinformatics, Connectome, Disease, Network Biology, Systems Biology