Regulatory Circuits

Using gene expression data and other genomic information we constructed 394 cell type and tissue-specific gene regulatory networks for human, each specifying the genome-wide connectivity between transcription factors, enhancers, promoters and genes. Each of these networks describes hundreds of thousands of regulatory interactions among thousands of genes, giving the first global view of the “control system” of cells and tissues. We found that genetic variants associated with human diseases disrupt components of these networks in disease-relevant tissues, giving new insights on disease mechanisms, which may lead to personalised treatments that are more effective and have fewer side effects. [Nature Methods (2016) / doi:10.1038/nmeth.3799]