Fig 1.
Factors influencing the discovery of new genetic signatures.
Thousands of publications about cancer gene signatures have been published in the last 25 years; however, reproducibility is not always possible. (A) Publication counts for years 1999–2023. (B) Wordcloud shows the frequently mentioned words in publications. (C) Factors that can influence and improve the signature reproducibility. The inward arrows indicate factors that may influence the reproducibility of gene signatures, including different sequencing technologies, inherent randomness, sample heterogeneity, and complex regulatory networks. The outward arrows indicate strategies that may help improve the reproducibility of gene signatures, including state-of-the-art algorithms, deep learning techniques, open repositories for datasets and metadata, data and code sharing, collaborative efforts, and training and education.