Summary
Objectives:
To summarize current excellent research in the field of bioinformatics.
Method:
Synopsis of the articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2010.
Results:
The selection process for this yearbook’s section on Bioinformatics results in five
excellent articles highlighting the progress made in advancing the understanding of
genotypephenotype relationship, and their concrete application in clinical settings.
First, next generation sequencing techniques have allowed the discovery of an ever
larger number of genetic variations at a greater resolution, and methods were developed
to ensure accurate data analysis. Second, innovative approaches were applied to gene
expression data to allow its link to a wider phenotypic spectrum and to enhance its
use for disease understanding. Third, there is a notable trend in visualizing diseases
as network rather than individual entities, and this has provided new insights for
disease interpretation. The progress mentioned above is further aided by continual
development in bio-ontologies which provide means for semantic, and thus phenotype,
comparison.
Conclusions:
The current literature showed a tightening link between genotype and phenotype, placing
us one step closer to a better disease classification, patient stratification as well
as the development of personalized medicine.
Keywords
Medical informatics - International Medical Informatics Association - yearbook - bioinformatics
- genotype-phenotype relationships - bioontologies - semantic similarity
