Reducing Dimensionality in the Search for Gene-Gene Interactions

Gene-gene interactions are a critical component of the genetic architecture of complex, human traits. Unfortunately, the detection and characterization of interactions is a challenge. This is due to a number of factors including the combinatorial explosion of possible interactions in large-scale genomic data, limited power in small sample sizes, and potential difficulty interpreting or validating the resulting interaction models. A number of data mining methods have been developed to deal with one or more of these challenges. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of looking for gene-gene interactions as well as some of the challenges facing this type of analysis. Additionally, we review the alternative analytic approaches being considered to improve our ability to detect and model gene-gene interactions. Finally, we conclude with the future directions of interaction analysis.