Can we devise new therapies by combining databases of protein interactions and of drug targets?

What is it about?

We undertook a feasibility study to see whether it's possible to combine databases of metabolic molecular interactions with databases of drugs and their targets to devise new therapies. We trialled this approach on cholesterol metabolism.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

As databases of metabolic molecular interactions have grown and databases of pharmacological agents and their targets grown, we have very clearly entered into an era in which we need to automate the process of generating therapeutic hypotheses. However, it is not clear at the current time whether this is possible and what the obstacles to progress will be. Here we seek to determine the feasibility of this approach and we identify some of the immediate barriers to progress.