Integrating molecular, histopathological, neuroimaging and clinical neuroscience data with NeuroPM-box

Commun Biol. 2021 May 21;4(1):614. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02133-x.

Abstract

Understanding and treating heterogeneous brain disorders requires specialized techniques spanning genetics, proteomics, and neuroimaging. Designed to meet this need, NeuroPM-box is a user-friendly, open-access, multi-tool cross-platform software capable of characterizing multiscale and multifactorial neuropathological mechanisms. Using advanced analytical modeling for molecular, histopathological, brain-imaging and/or clinical evaluations, this framework has multiple applications, validated here with synthetic (N > 2900), in-vivo (N = 911) and post-mortem (N = 736) neurodegenerative data, and including the ability to characterize: (i) the series of sequential states (genetic, histopathological, imaging or clinical alterations) covering decades of disease progression, (ii) concurrent intra-brain spreading of pathological factors (e.g., amyloid, tau and alpha-synuclein proteins), (iii) synergistic interactions between multiple biological factors (e.g., toxic tau effects on brain atrophy), and (iv) biologically-defined patient stratification based on disease heterogeneity and/or therapeutic needs. This freely available toolbox ( neuropm-lab.com/neuropm-box.html ) could contribute significantly to a better understanding of complex brain processes and accelerating the implementation of Precision Medicine in Neurology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Brain Diseases / genetics
  • Brain Diseases / metabolism
  • Brain Diseases / pathology*
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Disease Progression
  • Epigenomics
  • Humans
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neuroimaging / methods*
  • Proteome
  • Software*
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Proteome