Wading through the noise of “multi-omics” to identify prognostic biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma

Multi-omics, the molecular analysis of genes, transcriptional RNA and proteins, allowsresearchers document the mechanism of action of a target gene. However multi-omics may result in anavalanche of information when used to screen a population. It is very difficult to discern a pattern or signalrelated to a disease or its progression. Differential multi-omics exploits our ability to see differences betweensubjects who are similar in all respects except for the outcome being tested. Twin studies are an example ofthis. Miao and colleagues compared two patients who had diverse outcomes following treatment of multifocalhepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to identify seven candidates as the responsible genes. In a largercohort of patients with HCC they narrowed the field down to a single target down. By looking at progressionof HCC, they isolated TTK, a protein kinase which disrupts the interaction of the tumour suppressor p53with the oncogene MDM2. TTK-high tumours recurred 3 times faster than TTK-low tumours.