A robust statistical approach for finding informative spatially associated pathways.

ABSTRACT: Spatial transcriptomics offers deep insights into cellular functional localization and communication by mapping gene expression to spatial locations. Traditional approaches that focus on selecting spatially variable genes often overlook the complexity of biological pathways and the interactions among genes. Here, we introduce a novel framework that shifts the focus towards directly identifying functional pathways associated with spatial variability by adapting the Brownian distance covariance test in an innovative manner to explore the heterogeneity of biological functions over space. Unlike most other methods, this statistical testing approach is free of gene selection and parameter selection and allows nonlinear and complex dependencies. It allows for a deeper understanding of how cells

SUBMITTER: Tian L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11503753 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature