MaxLink: network-based prioritization of genes tightly linked to a disease seed set

Bioinformatics. 2014 Sep 15;30(18):2689-90. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btu344. Epub 2014 May 20.

Abstract

MaxLink, a guilt-by-association network search algorithm, has been made available as a web resource and a stand-alone version. Based on a user-supplied list of query genes, MaxLink identifies and ranks genes that are tightly linked to the query list. This functionality can be used to predict potential disease genes from an initial set of genes with known association to a disease. The original algorithm, used to identify and rank novel genes potentially involved in cancer, has been updated to use a more statistically sound method for selection of candidate genes and made applicable to other areas than cancer. The algorithm has also been made faster by re-implementation in C++, and the Web site uses FunCoup 3.0 as the underlying network.

Availability and implementation: MaxLink is freely available at http://maxlink.sbc.su.se both as a web service and a stand-alone application for download.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Disease / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Programming Languages
  • Software*