CARIN the CArdiac Regulatory INteraction database, integrates data from different species and different experiments (e.g. expression profiling or chromatin immunoprecipitation) into a common framework ready to be used as an information source for cardiovascular regulatory networks.

It provides information on a gene-wise level using the Ensembl database as reference. It provide the opportunity to interactively query and zoom in on your favorite genes and gene regulatory networks and incorporates data of several HeartRepair research groups in order to place these individual datasets into a broader context. Detailed experimental annotation for single genes and regulatory interactions between those genes are provided. Descriptions of the experimental setups from the contributing groups allow for interpretation of the data and its relevance for the user. Further, the CARIN database system directly includes annotations from or links to publicly available databases like Ensembl, the GeneOntology consortium or the UCSC Genome Browser.

To improve usability, high value is set on the visualization aspect. Dynamic network representations have been implemented to provide an easy and comfortable data overview and detailed information for individual genes at the same time. Finally, the system incorporates several features for highlighting and filtering genes and interactions, which provides the possibility to focus on specific regulatory pathways or fields of interest.

The CARIN database is currently under heavy development and will be released soon.