DiDyNet: a robust framework for differential dynamic network inference from longitudinal multi-omics data.

MOTIVATION: Understanding disease dynamics from longitudinal multi-omics is hindered by traditional approaches that focus on univariate trajectories and static networks while ignoring temporal evolution. We developed DiDyNet, a framework for identifying phenotype-specific temporal molecular networks by defining dynamic coupling as coordinated molecular trajectories. DiDyNet operates through four steps: (i) two-dimensional variance-based filtering to prioritize dynamic features; (ii) quantification of subject-specific coordination using Dynamic Time Warping to accommodate asynchrony; (iii) statistical testing for differential dynamic couplings; and (iv) linear mixed model-based post-hoc refinement to distinguish genuine coordinated dynamics from stochastic noise.

RESULTS: Simulation studies showed that DiDyNet significantly outperformed static summary statistics, including the mean, median, and difference, which cannot capture dynamic signals. Dynamic Time Warping-based quantification also demonstrated greater robustness than Euclidean distance, correlation-based distance, and constrained alignment methods under temporal misalignment and signal sparsity. Application to an insulin resistance cohort identified a coordinated cross-omics network linking systemic inflammation with intracellular stress responses.

AVAILABILITY: Source code is freely available at https://github.com/bioinfoliu/DiDyNet.