A need for a 'whole-istic functional genomics' approach in complex human diseases: arthritis.
'Genomic tools', such as gene/protein chips, single nucleotide polymorphism and haplotype analyses, are empowering us to generate staggering amounts of correlative data, from human/animal genetics and from normal and disease-affected tissues obtained from complex diseases such as arthritis. These tools are transforming molecular biology into a 'data rich' science, with subjects with an '-omic' suffix. These disciplines have to converge and integrate at a systemic level to examine the structure and dynamics of cellular and organismal function ('functionomics') simultaneously, using a multidimensional approach for cells, tissues, organs, rodents and Zebra fish models, which intertwines various approaches and readouts to study the development and homeostasis of a system. In summary, the postgenomic era of functionomics will facilitate narrowing the bridge between correlative data and causative data, thus integrating 'intercoms' of interacting and interdependent disciplines and forming a unified whole.
Amin
Ashok R
AR
Hospital for Joint Diseases/NYU School of Medicine, New York, USA. ashok.amin@msnyuhealth.org
D001168:Arthritis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D040901:Proteomics