title: Multi-omics enrichment analysis using the GeneTrail2 web service.
abstract: Gene set analysis has revolutionized the interpretation of high-throughput transcriptomic data. Nowadays, with comprehensive studies that measure multiple -omics from the same sample, powerful tools for the integrative analysis of multi-omics datasets are required.
  
  
  
  Here, we present GeneTrail2, a web service allowing the integrated analysis of transcriptomic, miRNomic, genomic and proteomic datasets. It offers multiple statistical tests, a large number of predefined reference sets, as well as a comprehensive collection of biological categories and enables direct comparisons between the computed results. We used GeneTrail2 to explore pathogenic mechanisms of Wilms tumors. We not only succeeded in revealing signaling cascades that may contribute to the malignancy of blastemal subtype tumors but also identified potential biomarkers for nephroblastoma with adverse prognosis. The presented use-case demonstrates that GeneTrail2 is well equipped for the integrative analysis of comprehensive -omics data and may help to shed light on complex pathogenic mechanisms in cancer and other diseases.
  
  
  
  GeneTrail2 can be freely accessed under https://genetrail2.bioinf.uni-sb.de
  
  
  
  : dstoeckel@bioinf.uni-sb.de
  
  
  
  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stöckel
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kehl
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trampert
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Backes
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Medical School, Saarland University, Homburg D-66421.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, D-72076.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gerasch
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, D-72076.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.affiliation: Theodor-Boveri-Institute/Biocenter, Developmental Biochemistry, and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, Würzburg University, Würzburg D-97074 and.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gessler
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Medical School, Saarland University, Homburg, D-66421, Germany.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Medical School, Saarland University, Homburg D-66421.
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meese
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken D-66041.
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lenhof
mesh_terms: D016678:Genome; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms; D040901:Proteomics; D059467:Transcriptome