Ali Alsaad

Bioinformatics Specialization · Cohort 2025

Investigating Transport, Mechanotransduction, and Angiogenesis Pathways in Syncytiotrophoblast Cells: A Literature-Based Network Analysis of Biomarkers

We are conducting a literature-based network analysis to investigate key biomarkers involved in mechanotransduction, transport, and angiogenesis in syncytiotrophoblast cells, with a particular focus on the BeWo cell line. Studies published between 2015 and 2025 were reviewed to compile a comprehensive list of relevant biomarkers. A pathway enrichment analysis is currently being performed to identify shared biological pathways associated with the identified biomarkers and their genes. These results will be visualized through an enrichment map, highlighting functional relationships across the three biological processes and enabling the identification of cross-category pathway overlaps. All biomarkers are being integrated into a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Mechanotransduction pathways are categorized into differential pressure, shear stress, and tensile stress. Additional interactions between biomarkers related to angiogenesis and transport are also being analyzed. The complete network will be visualized in a 2D graph, with key metrics such as degree, centrality, and clustering coefficient calculated to assess biomarker significance. This project provides a comprehensive, up-to-date network-level summary of mechanotransduction, transport, and angiogenesis biomarkers in syncytiotrophoblast cells and offers insights into the interconnectivity of findings across recent studies.

Mentor: Hagar Labouta

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See it in the program report (PDF)