For almost three years, we have been closely collaborating with our colleagues at UMCG to apply AI in medical research. On that account, we were recently asked to share our perspective on a Nature article about SARS-CoV-2 (by Stukalov et al., 2021) for the News & Views section of Nature Immunology.

 

Building upon our experience with network analysis and multi-omics data (an umbrella term for different layers of the human genetic architecture, including DNA, epigenetics markers, proteins, and much more), we have highlighted the merits of this study and suggested further improvements of its analyses.

 

In Stukalov et al.’s high-impact study (link in comments), the authors discovered how the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects the genes and proteins in human lung cells. Interestingly, they also compared SARS-CoV-2 to its predecessor SARS-CoV. This comparison showed the genetic causes of SARS-CoV-2’s higher transmission rate and specific COVID-19 symptoms. Lastly, their findings revealed how existing drugs could potentially be used to decrease viral growth within COVID-19 patients.

 

Click here to read our News & Views article titled ‘SARS-CoV-2-specific hotspots in virus–host interaction networks’. But be warned: while it is written for a non-specialist audience, it is still no easy read. If you are interested in an explanation in normal human language, feel free to reach out one of the experts on the topic from our team, Merlijn.