AI helps to uncover the genetic basis of human skeletal proportions
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, New York Genome Center and The University of Texas at Austin combined data from full body x-rays with genomic data of more than 30,000 UK Biobank members to help illuminate the genetic basis of skeletal proportions in humans, from shoulder to leg size.
These findings provide new insights on the evolution of human skeletal forms and their role in musculoskeletal diseases. They also offer a window to our evolutionary past and could one day allow doctors to better predict the risk of patients developing conditions like arthritis or back pain in later life. The study also shows the value of using imaging data collected from biobanks at a population scale to better understand disease-related physical variations in humans.
Our research is a powerful example of AI’s impact in medicine. Especially when it comes analyzing and quantifying imaging data and integrating that information with genetics and health records quickly and on a large scale,\” Vagheesh Nrasimhan, Ph.D., assistant professor of integrative biological as well statistics and data science who led the team of multidisciplinary researchers to provide the genetic mapping of skeletal dimensions.
Source:
AI Helps to Unveil the Genetic Basis of Human Skeletal Proportions
