Human body maps provide landmarks for the human body and help the brain to make decisions about movement. The larger and more detailed the maps, the better movements will be. MRIs show that body parts with more complex movement demand larger maps. For example, the hand has a large and highly detailed map, as it can differentiate sensations and move in complex ways.
Identifying landmark features in human body maps
Landmark features are distinct features that are consistently located in human body maps. These features serve as biologically meaningful loci. Using these landmarks can give researchers a detailed map of human form, which is useful in analyzing statistics. Traditional landmarks include bony processes, foramina of neurovascular bundles, and the intersection of sutures. In addition, new landmarks can be defined based on biological knowledge, in order to recognize features that directly affect a research question.
This integration of landmark information is, well modeled using probabilistic models. Moreover, these models predict human navigation performance with high precision. A recent experiment has demonstrated that participants can identify landmarks in natural scenes by reducing the amount of spatial ambiguity. In fact, the study also shows that participants integrate landmark information near-optimally during the training phase and test phase. However, when big conflicts occur, integration breaks down. Despite this, participants continue to use the landmarks to determine their home positions.
Developing analytical methods for analyzing data
Developing analytical methods for analyzing human body map data is a critical component of biomedical research. Such maps can improve the development of diagnostic tools and improve understanding of disease conditions. The increasing amount of medical data and its inherent hidden errors are forcing computational experts to develop new strategies.
Human body maps can produce with a variety of transformative technologies. They allow researchers to construct three-dimensional maps of tissue at unprecedented molecular and spatial resolution. The NIH’s Common Fund Human Biomolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP) aims to develop a framework for mapping the human body at single-cell resolution. The program integrates efforts from various funding agencies and the biomedical research community.
The HuBMAP project envisions a strategy inspired by other tissue atlas efforts. Using a standardized method, landmark features can be identified across all human individuals. Then, an integrated reference can be created with multiple coordinate systems. In addition, HuBMAP will use an open-source computational histology topography cytometry analysis toolbox to facilitate two-dimensional visualization. Eventually, the toolbox will also be able to provide 3D reconstruction.
Engagement with broader scientific community
The Human Cell Atlas initiative aims to develop a reference map of human cells and tissues. This initiative is, funded by various sources. While some organizations provide dedicated funding, others participate in regional HCA consortia and do so without it. The HCA also encourages collaboration between scientists and the public.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KMRI) is an example of an organization that engaged diverse stakeholder groups to design the project. This program is located in a county hospital, and the engagement approach recognizes the dynamic nature of a local population. The project has been able to develop a multifaceted engagement strategy that brings diverse community voices to ethical and policy discussions.
The broader scientific community will play a key role in developing HuBMAP. It will collaborate with other mapping centres and cellular annotation centres. It will also work with experts in visualization and user experience, and in virtual and augmented reality. This collaborative effort will make it possible to create high-resolution, high-content three-dimensional maps of human tissue.
As part of its ongoing engagement with the broader scientific community, the HubMAP initiative is planning to hold joint meetings with the Human Cell Atlas initiative and the Human Tumour Atlas Network. The two consortia have developed close links and hold regular meetings. In addition, the HubMAP participants recently held a meeting related to the kidney precision medicine program.
The HuBMAP project aims to create a public user interface to visualize molecular landscapes at the single-cell level. The visualization tools will allow researchers to search for molecules of interest and view the spatial changes across different cell types. It will also provide standard formats for researchers to use and download. These formats will also be rich in metadata that can be searched across similar programs.
