Computers fight emerging infections
Published: Aug. 20, 2007 at 1:01 PM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Canadian scientists say computer analysis of drugs might be key to fighting new infectious agents in an outbreak or during a bioterrorism attack.
The researchers said the use of such "emergency discovery" technology could save time, money and lives.
So-called drug re-purposing or re-profiling is used by pharmaceutical companies in seeking new uses of old drugs to extend patent protections and whenever new, off-label uses of the drugs are found.
But study leader Artem Cherkasov of the University of British Columbia-Vancouver said re-profiling to deliberately develop emergency drugs is a new concept, made possible by advances in chemoinformatics, a new field that merges chemistry with computer science.
"In the case of new infectious threats, there might be no time to develop a completely new drug from the ground up, as the corresponding toxicological studies and regulatory investigations will take years to complete properly," Cherkasov said. "Finding an already existing, well-studied therapeutic agent that will kill an emerging bug might provide a rapid, 'first line of defense' response option."
The researchers reported their findings Sunday in Boston during the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
The researchers said the use of such "emergency discovery" technology could save time, money and lives.
So-called drug re-purposing or re-profiling is used by pharmaceutical companies in seeking new uses of old drugs to extend patent protections and whenever new, off-label uses of the drugs are found.
But study leader Artem Cherkasov of the University of British Columbia-Vancouver said re-profiling to deliberately develop emergency drugs is a new concept, made possible by advances in chemoinformatics, a new field that merges chemistry with computer science.
"In the case of new infectious threats, there might be no time to develop a completely new drug from the ground up, as the corresponding toxicological studies and regulatory investigations will take years to complete properly," Cherkasov said. "Finding an already existing, well-studied therapeutic agent that will kill an emerging bug might provide a rapid, 'first line of defense' response option."
The researchers reported their findings Sunday in Boston during the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society.
© 2007 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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