Polygenic effects can be further interrogated using gene network analyses and bioinformatic data to evaluate biological plausibility and relevance (e.g., is the gene expressed in the brain or liver?). Gene network analyses permit examination of whether variants included in polygenic scores are located in functionally related networks of genes [125]. This approach can thus identify the different pathways involved in genetic vulnerability, and the routes by which a set of genes may influence pathways of risk. Knowledge of such networks can be capitalized on to develop novel drug targets. Work in model organisms has begun to identify gene networks associated with initial sensitivity to ethanol, a measure closely associated to level of response [126], and there is some preliminary evidence suggesting that variation in gene networks related to neuronal signaling is associated with level of response in humans [57].
