Startseite Mediation analysis method review of high throughput data
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Mediation analysis method review of high throughput data

  • Qiang Han , Yu Wang , Na Sun , Jiadong Chu , Wei Hu und Yueping Shen EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 29. November 2023

Abstract

High-throughput technologies have made high-dimensional settings increasingly common, providing opportunities for the development of high-dimensional mediation methods. We aimed to provide useful guidance for researchers using high-dimensional mediation analysis and ideas for biostatisticians to develop it by summarizing and discussing recent advances in high-dimensional mediation analysis. The method still faces many challenges when extended single and multiple mediation analyses to high-dimensional settings. The development of high-dimensional mediation methods attempts to address these issues, such as screening true mediators, estimating mediation effects by variable selection, reducing the mediation dimension to resolve correlations between variables, and utilizing composite null hypothesis testing to test them. Although these problems regarding high-dimensional mediation have been solved to some extent, some challenges remain. First, the correlation between mediators are rarely considered when the variables are selected for mediation. Second, downscaling without incorporating prior biological knowledge makes the results difficult to interpret. In addition, a method of sensitivity analysis for the strict sequential ignorability assumption in high-dimensional mediation analysis is still lacking. An analyst needs to consider the applicability of each method when utilizing them, while a biostatistician could consider extensions and improvements in the methodology.


Corresponding author: Yueping Shen, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, 199 RenAi Road, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu Province, China, E-mail:

Award Identifier / Grant number: 81973143

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Editage editorial team for their English editing.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Author contributions: The authors has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Research funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China (81973143).

  5. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2023-08-10
Accepted: 2023-11-11
Published Online: 2023-11-29

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