Korean J Intern Med.  2015 Mar;30(2):148-160. 10.3904/kjim.2015.30.2.148.

Applications of systems approaches in the study of rheumatic diseases

• Kim KJ
• Lee S
• Kim WU

• KMID: 2160677
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2015.30.2.148

Abstract

The complex interaction of molecules within a biological system constitutes a functional module. These modules are then acted upon by both internal and external factors, such as genetic and environmental stresses, which under certain conditions can manifest as complex disease phenotypes. Recent advances in high-throughput biological analyses, in combination with improved computational methods for data enrichment, functional annotation, and network visualization, have enabled a much deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying important biological processes by identifying functional modules that are temporally and spatially perturbed in the context of disease development. Systems biology approaches such as these have produced compelling observations that would be impossible to replicate using classical methodologies, with greater insights expected as both the technology and methods improve in the coming years. Here, we examine the use of systems biology and network analysis in the study of a wide range of rheumatic diseases to better understand the underlying molecular and clinical features.

Keyword

Systems biology; Network analysis; Rheumatic diseases

MeSH Terms

Animals
Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use
Biomedical Research/*methods
Cytokines/genetics/metabolism
Genetic Markers
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Inflammation Mediators/metabolism
Molecular Targeted Therapy
Phenotype
Prognosis
*Rheumatic Diseases/drug therapy/genetics/metabolism/physiopathology
Rheumatology/*methods
Risk Factors
Signal Transduction
*Systems Biology
Systems Integration
Antirheumatic Agents
Cytokines
Genetic Markers
Inflammation Mediators