Scientists from the Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBC-DSAI) at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have created a computational method called “MultiCens” to comprehend the interactions between genes that are in charge of inter-organ communication in the body.

For multicellular life to exist, communication between cells in various tissues and organs is essential. Long-standing research has focused on the molecular underpinnings of such communication, but genome-wide searches for the genes and other macromolecules that regulate tissue-to-tissue transmission are still absent.

Researchers from IIT Madras created ‘MultiCens’ (Multilayer/Multi-tissue network Centrality measurements) to systematically discover inter-tissue mediators. All living things require communication between their organs and tissues in order to function properly and survive.

How Does It Work?

The inter-organ communication network (ICN) enables organisms to monitor their energy reserves, adjust to changes in their environment, and maintain overall wellbeing. This study marks a big step forward in the methodologies being developed to comprehend interorgan communication and its effects.Numerous substances, including as hormones and metabolites created by the gut microbiota, act as messengers during the ICN process. Important choices including development, survival, and controlled cell death are impacted. ICNs have been found to be incredibly complicated, according to earlier research, much of which was done on model species like fruit flies.

Researchers from IIT Madras, Dr. Tarun Kumar, Dr. Sanga Mitra, Prof. B. Ravindran, and Prof. Manikandan Narayanan, as well as Dr. Ramanathan Sethuraman of Intel Corporation, who closely and actively collaborated with the IIT Madras team on this research, all contributed to the paper. Professor B. Ravindran, Mindtree Faculty Fellow and Head of the RBC-DSAI at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, emphasised the significant applications of this research, saying, “Much of the research on the Inter-organ Communication Network (ICN) has primarily involved experiments on model organisms like the fruit fly, which may not directly apply to humans and other non-model organisms. Additionally, the multiple interactions between biomolecules in various tissues make the experimental methods time-consuming. As a result, we currently lack complete information about the ICN.

There is a need for other methods of evaluating ICNs in order to fully comprehend their role in promoting health and treating diseases, continued Professor B Ravindran, who is also a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Madras. The IIT Madras researchers have developed a cutting-edge computational technique to investigate the relationships between the genes in charge of various organs and tissues. They created a technique known as “MultiCens” by utilising the genetic data that was available for multiple tissues. This tool can be used for many different types of study.

Aim Of This Research And Its Impact

Professor Manikandan Narayanan, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Madras, a DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Fellow, and the study’s corresponding author, explained the significance of the research in more detail.

Our MultiCens method’s capacity to pinpoint the crucial ICN genes in a variety of healthy or disease-related conditions is what makes it so significant. Network science techniques at the core of MultiCens assess the significance of genes both inside and across tissues in a hierarchical manner. This strategy was created through a concerted team effort by all of the authors of the study, with close collaboration between those in my lab, Dr. Tarun’s Bioinformatics and Integrative Data Science (BIRDS) group.

Dr. Tarun Kumar, who has extensive knowledge of algorithms for rich graph structures, continued, “Using algorithms for computing multi-layer network centrality measures, which are extended from traditional single-layer network centrality algorithms, we examined the relationships among genes that interact within and between tissues, and we identified the key genes involved in communication between different parts of the body.”

“We explored applications of MultiCens in two diverse settings – in one setting, we predicted genes closely associated with hormones, which are essential for numerous bodily functions; in another, we unveiled changes in gene interactions within and across different brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease,” added Dr. Sanga Mitra, a seasoned researcher in applications of bioinformatics methods and biological interpretation of the resulting predictions. Since cancer starts in one organ and then spreads to others, the application can also be used to understand how cancer metastasizes.

In order to effectively manage any condition, it is crucial to comprehend the molecular pathway for disease manifestation and identify the primary targets, according to Dr. Ramanathan Sethuraman, Healthcare Architect and Principal Engineer at Intel and co-author of this study. A step in this direction of research is MultiCens. Other genetic contexts for health and disease can also be used with MultiCens. The source code for MultiCens is publicly accessible, and ongoing work on a web interface and experimental verification of its predictions can further advance our understanding of the ICN and its significance for general health and wellbeing.