Integrated Network and Gene Ontology Analysis Identifies Key Genes and Pathwaysfor Coronary Artery Diseases

Background: The prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in developing countriesis on the rise, owing to rapidly changing lifestyle. Therefore, it is imperative thatthe underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms be understood to develop specifictreatment strategies. Comprehensive disease network and Gene Ontology (GO) studiesaid in prioritizing potential candidate genes for CAD and also give insights intogene function by establishing gene and disease pathway relationships.Methods: In the present study, CAD-associated genes were collated from different datasources and protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING.Highly interconnected network clusters were inferred and GO analysis was performed.Results: Interrelation between genes and pathways were analyzed on ClueGO and 38candidates were identified from 1475 CAD-associated genes, which were significantlyenriched in CAD-related pathways such as metabolism and regulation of lipid molecules,platelet activation, macrophage derived foam cell differentiation, and bloodcoagulation and fibrin clot formation.Discussion: Integrated network and ontology analysis enables biomarker prioritizationfor common complex diseases such as CAD. Experimental validation and futurestudies on the prioritized genes may reveal valuable insights into CAD developmentmechanism and targeted treatment strategies.