In a groundbreaking study integrating genetics gene expression and blood biomarkers researchers have developed a framework to investigate multiorgan communication in human health and disease.

Led by scientists from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Mass General Brigham the study analyzes the molecular “cargo” of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obesity and connects these insights with human genetic data to identify potential therapeutic targets for metabolic disorders. The findings were published on July 15 in Cell Genomics.

This paper in our view introduces concepts and tools that lay the foundation for a new era in the genomics of interorgan communicatio said Eric Gamazon PhD associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Genetic Medicine at VUMC and co-senior author alongside Ravi Shah MDof VUMC and Saumya Das MD PhD of Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School.

Gamazon explained that while genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been instrumental in identifying genetic regions linked to diseases like obesity they have largely focused on static traits.

“Current genomic tools still fall short in capturing how genetic variations drive cross-organ disease processes” he said.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are membrane-enclosed carriers of molecules like RNA and proteins, play a key role in mediating communication between organs.

“EVs may reflect dynamic tissue-specific disease states” said Dr. Ravi Shah professor of Medicine at VUMC.

In this study researchers analyzed EVs from the blood of obese and lean individuals identifying 277 obesity-related RNA transcripts. They compared these circulating EVs with those derived from visceral fat tissue and found strong similarities, suggesting a common source.

Genomic analyses revealed that these RNA molecules are regulated by genetic variants linked to BMI. A phenome-wide study using UK Biobank data further connected these variants to inflammatory conditions including type 2 diabetes.

“These findings show that EVs can indicate disease states in obesity and mediate cross-organ communication” said Shah. Gamazon added that EV cargo can help interpret GWAS findings, addressing a major challenge in the field

The study merges insights from GWAS transcriptomics and extracellular vesicle research, offering a novel approach to understanding complex diseases. It was led by researchers from VUMC Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School with support from the American Heart Association and NIH.                                                    Source; https://news.vumc.org/2025/07/15/multidisciplinary-study-develops-tools-for-new-genomics-of-interorgan-communication/