A modality-aware CRISPR actionability framework for functional prioritization of genome-wide significant type 2...

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci associated with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), yet translating statistical signals into experimentally testable hypotheses remains a central challenge in post-GWAS biology. The predominance of non-coding regulatory variants complicates target gene assignment and raises uncertainty regarding optimal clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) perturbation strategy. Here, we present a structured CRISPR Actionability Framework that integrates genomic context, pancreatic islet enhancer overlap, tissue-specific expression validation, and locus clarity into a quantitative CRISPR Actionability Score (CAS). We applied this framework to ten genome-wide significant T2D loci and assigned modality-aware CRISPR strategies (knockout versus CRISPR interference). CAS values ranged from 4 to 10, enabling tiered prioritization into high, moderate, and lower experimental priority classes. High-priority loci included SLC30A8, TCF7L2, and KCNJ11, which demonstrated strong regulatory or coding evidence combined with islet expression support. By explicitly linking genomic architecture to perturbation modality, this framework provides a transparent and reproducible bridge between statistical genetics and functional genome editing. This approach establishes a scalable template for rational CRISPR target selection in complex disease research.