By ScienceDaily
Publication Date: 2026-02-15 12:00:00
A team led by Min Zhang and Dabao Zhang of the Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health at the University of California, Irvine, has developed the most comprehensive maps yet of how genes directly influence each other in brain cells affected by Alzheimer’s disease. These maps go beyond identifying gene connections. They show which genes actively control others in different cell types in the brain.
To achieve this, researchers created a machine learning platform called SIGNET. Unlike traditional tools that only detect genes that appear to move together, SIGNET is designed to uncover real cause-and-effect relationships. Using this approach, the team identified key biological pathways that may contribute to memory loss and the gradual breakdown of brain tissue.
The results were published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The study also sheds light on newly identified genes that could be promising targets for the future…
