Effect of Community Structures in Protein–Protein Interaction Network in Cancer Protein Identification

Protein interactions determine molecular and cellular mechanisms which control healthy and diseased states in organisms. Hence, a protein interaction network can be used to make scientific abstractions to understand mechanisms that trigger the onset and progress of diseases like cancer. Tumour-promoting function of several aberrantly expressed proteins in the cancerous state depends on their ability to interact with their protein-binding partners. Therefore, exploring more about these abnormal protein–protein interactions (PPIs) can help in identifying the disease pathway. This study examines the effect of community structures in the PPI network in cancer protein identification. It also provides a detailed analysis of topological properties of cancer, cancer chance and non-cancer proteins in the PPI network.