Most human diseases are multigenic complex diseases, which are caused by interaction between genetic factors and environmental factors. It has been a big challenge to resolve the genetic and environmental complexity, the cellular components in between, and the interactions between these components. Genome-scale studies of large sample sizes aim to reveal the genetic architectures of many complex diseases, having laid the basis for systems approach to understanding complex diseases. Systems biology has advanced our understanding of complex diseases at multiple layers: 1) genetic architectures; 2) cellular components: DNA, RNA, proteins and metabolites; 3) regulation of cellular processes; 4) the role of environmental factors. Here we would like to briefly introduce our early attempt in exploring systems approach and our recent application in illustrating the mechanism underlying complex diseases, and provide a perspective on the future of systems biology in complex diseases.

 

Systems biology, complex diseases