Pathogenesis of Obesity-Related Chronic Liver Diseases as the Study Case for the Systems Biology

Abstract

To understand human pathology at the system level, one must examine the complex milieu of molecular interactions between various cells within human body, rather than the characteristics of isolated cell or cultured cell. However, all over the human body an understanding of the pathophysiology of particular tissues has lagged behind the insights in general biological processes. A "high-throughput revolution" unfolding in model clinical science leads to significant increase of knowledge describing transcriptome and proteome states in complex human diseases, including pathologies of the liver. Despite seeming accessibility of the profiling techniques, cautionary approach is necessary in the interpretation of the data. There are universal caveats that preclude meta-analysis of the data collected. Major biological obstacles are heterogeneity of the samples profiled, imperfect correlation between mRNA and protein levels, and normal variation in the levels of mRNAs and corresponding proteins in healthy individuals. Nevertheless, a significant gain in the understanding of NAFLD spectrum diseases reached recently is inseparable from the data accumulated in high-throughput projects.