Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39753567›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

regionalpcs improve discovery of DNA methylation associations with complex traits.

Tiffany Eulalio, Min Woo Sun, Olivier Gevaert, Michael D Greicius, Thomas J Montine, Daniel Nachun, Stephen B Montgomery

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. fSuSiE enables fine-mapping of QTLs from genome-scale molecular profiles.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

  • Update of
    2024
5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tiffany EulalioDepartment of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. eulalio@alumni.stanford.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-7084-9646
Min Woo SunDepartment of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Olivier GevaertDepartment of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9965-5466
Michael D GreiciusDepartment of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Thomas J MontineDepartment of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1346-2728
Daniel Nachun *Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. dnachun@stanford.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-0271-1135
Stephen B Montgomery *Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. smontgom@stanford.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-5200-3903

Funding

SUPPLEMENT TO RUSH ALZHEIMERS DISEASE CENTER COREP30AG010161 · NIA · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI BENNETT, DAVID ALAN · 1991 to 2020
$49.1M
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF NEURAL RESERVE AND NEUROBIOLOGY IN AGINGR01AG017917 · NIA · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI BENNETT, DAVID ALAN · 2001 to 2023
$43.3M
Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterAdmin Supp: Developing iPSC models for AD and PDP30AG066515 · NIA · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Lisa Goldman Rosas · 2020 to 2026
$29.0M
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING IN MEDICAL INFORMATION SCIENCEST15LM007033 · NLM · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI SYLVIA KATINA PLEVRITIS · 1985 to 2026
$25.5M
RISK FACTORS, PATHOLOGY, AND CLINICAL EXPRESSIONS OF ADR01AG015819 · NIA · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI BENNETT, DAVID ALAN · 1998 to 2024
$21.4M
Multi-omic functional assessment of novel AD variants using high-throughput and single-cell technologiesU01AG072573 · NIA · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI KUNDAJE, ANSHUL, MONTGOMERY, STEPHEN · 2021 to 2025
$8.3M
Stanford Training Program in Aging ResearchT32AG047126 · NIA · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI VYJEYANTHI S PERIYAKOIL, TONY WYSS-CORAY · 2014 to 2026
$4.3M
Predicting context-specific molecular and phenotypic effects of genetic variation through the lens of the cis-regulatory codeU01HG012069 · NHGRI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Anshul Kundaje · 2021 to 2026
$3.9M
Mapping Molecular and Phenotypic Interactions in Alzheimers DiseaseR01AG066490 · NIA · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI MONTGOMERY, STEPHEN · 2020 to 2024
$3.6M
Identifying causal genetic variants and molecular mechanisms impacting mental healthR01MH125244 · NIMH · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI KUNDAJE, ANSHUL, MONTGOMERY, STEPHEN · 2021 to 2025
$3.0M
Exploring the Role of the Brain Transcriptome in Cognitive DeclineR01AG036836 · NIA · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI DE JAGER, PHILIP L · 2011 to 2014
$2.9M
NHGRI NIH HHS U01 HG012069NIA NIH HHS P30 AG010161NIA NIH HHS P30 AG066515NIA NIH HHS R01 AG015819NIA NIH HHS R01 AG017917NIA NIH HHS R01 AG036836NIA NIH HHS R01 AG066490NIA NIH HHS T32 AG047126NIA NIH HHS U01 AG072573NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH125244NLM NIH HHS T15 LM007033
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We have developed the regionalpcs method, an approach for summarizing gene-level methylation. regionalpcs addresses the challenge of deciphering complex epigenetic mechanisms in diseases like Alzheimer's disease. In contrast to averaging, regionalpcs uses principal components analysis to capture complex methylation patterns across gene regions. Our method demonstrates a 54% improvement in sensitivity over averaging in simulations, providing a robust framework for identifying subtle epigenetic variations. Applying regionalpcs to Alzheimer's disease brain methylation data, combined with cell type deconvolution, we uncover 838 differentially methylated genes associated with neuritic plaque burden-significantly outperforming conventional methods. Integrating methylation quantitative trait loci with genome-wide association studies identified 17 genes with potential causal roles in Alzheimer's disease risk, including MS4A4A and PICALM. Available in the Bioconductor package regionalpcs, our approach facilitates a deeper understanding of the epigenetic landscape in Alzheimer's disease and opens avenues for research into complex diseases.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseDNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticGenome-Wide Association StudyQuantitative Trait LociBrainGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumansPrincipal Component Analysis

Identifiers

PMID39753567
PMCPMC11698866

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.