Multi omics network integration in hematological cancers

• Applicant: Natasha Andressa Nogueira Jorge, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 517078227

Hematological cancers (HC) are a group of diverse malignancies with different incidences and survival rates. They account for 9% of diagnosticated cancers and 8.5% of deaths related to cancer in Germany. Acute myeloid leukemia has a 5-year survival rate around 20%, while chronic myeloid leukemia requires constant treatment and lifelong observation. It's suggested that many genetic factors act together for its development, including mutations, translocations, alterations in methylation patterns and alterations in gene expression. There is not common treatment for HC and no specific treatment for multiple myelomas. High-throughput methodologies allow the simultaneous interrogation of all genes, transcripts, proteins being expressed at a certain condition. Therefore, simultaneous investigation of the interactions amongst those layers of gene expression can lead to the identification of alterations that could be connected to the insurgence of HC and its development. This project proposes to use Network integration approaches to incorporate the different omics layers from HC publicly high-throughput data to identify unique and shared interactions and biological pathways that can help the development of better diagnostic and treatment methodologies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants