Network biology is a scientific discipline that focuses on the study of complex biological systems, such as cells, organisms, and ecosystems, as interconnected networks. These networks represent the relationships and interactions among different biological components, such as genes, proteins, and metabolites. By analyzing these networks, researchers gain insight into how biological systems function, adapt, and respond to external stimuli, providing a holistic view of biology at the systems level. Prominent applications include disease classification and progression, comorbidities, similarities and treatments, and has provided tools to identify opportunities for drug repurposing and combination. Some of these tools have already found their way into clinical practice, resulting in a network-based diagnostic tool that is currently being used by physicians to improve treatment outcomes for patients with cancer and cardiovascular disease, and in the drug repurposing opportunities identified during the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with this, we developed a medical systems biology approach to identify miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets in cancer. We developed and applied an integrative network medicine approach that combines transcriptome and interactome data to study gene regulation and drug repurposing in cancers.
A network medicine approach for identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and exploring drug repurposing in human cancer
Zhang L, Fan SW, Vera J, Lai X
Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 2022; 21:34-45. 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.037
We developed and applied an integrative network medicine approach that combines transcriptome and interactome data to study gene regulation and drug repurposing in 18 cancer types. The study demonstrates the power of such an approach to identify novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and repurpose drugs in cancer.
Network- and systems-based re-engineering of dendritic cells with non-coding RNAs for cancer immunotherapy
Lai X, Dreyer F, Cantone M, Eberhardt M, Gerer K, Jaitly T, Uebe S, Lischer C, Ekici A, Wittmann, J, Jäck HM, Schaft N, Dörrie J, Vera J.
Theranostics. 2021;11(3)1412-1428.
We delineate the landscapes of microRNA-gene interactions at the pathway level in dendritic cells. We systematically identify several functional miRNAs as promising candidates for improving the immunogenic potency of dendritic cells.
Systems biology-based investigation of cooperating microRNAs
as monotherapy or adjuvant therapy in cancer
Lai X, Eberhardt M, Schmitz U, Vera J.
Nucleic Acids Research 2019;47 (15):7753-7766.
We propose and elaborate a medical systems biology approach to identify microRNAs as potential therapeutic targets in cancer. The approach integrates gene expression data and network biology modelling to prioritize functional microRNA-gene interactions in tumor. The application of such an approach is demonstrated with melanoma patients showing resistance to anti-PD1 immunotherapy.