title: An expanding role for cell biologists in drug discovery and pharmacology.
abstract: The profound challenges facing clinicians, who must prescribe drugs in the face of dramatic variability in response, and the pharmaceutical industry, which must develop new drugs despite ever-rising costs, represent opportunities for cell biologists interested in rethinking the conceptual basis of pharmacology and drug discovery. Much better understanding is required of the quantitative behaviors of networks targeted by drugs in cells, tissues, and organisms. Cell biologists interested in these topics should learn more about the basic structure of drug development campaigns and hone their quantitative and programming skills. A world of conceptual challenges and engaging industry-academic collaborations awaits, all with the promise of delivering real benefit to patients and strained healthcare systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology, Center for Cell Decision Processes, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. peter_sorger@hms.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Sorger
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schoeberl
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003585:Cell Biology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017277:Drug Approval; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004345:Drug Industry; D006801:Humans; D012108:Research Personnel
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents