New data network for Huntington's disease research
Scientists around the world are working to find effective therapies for Huntington's disease. While the disease is caused by a single gene mutation, the manifestation of the disease at a molecular level is nevertheless highly complex and involves multiple cellular processes. In research, this complexity has resulted in huge and diverse sets of data which in turn pose considerable challenges to researchers in collating, analysing and cross-referencing varied data sources. An international team of researchers, bioinformaticians and biostatisticians has developed the first freely available data network for scientists researching this debilitating and fatal condition, called HDNetDB. In a paper published in Scientific Reports , the HDNetDB team outlines the challenges facing those investigating Huntington's disease, explains how HDNetDB works and illustrates its effectiveness by discovering potential drug targets, which might help to prevent the neuronal cell death observed i...