title: Network and systems biology: essential steps in virtualising drug discovery and development.
abstract: The biological processes that keep us healthy or cause disease, as well as the mechanisms of action of possible drugs are inherently complex. In the face of this complexity, attempts at discovering new drugs to treat diseases have alternated between trial-and-error (typically on experimental systems) and grand simplification, usually based on much too little information. We now have the chance to combine these strategies through establishment of 'virtual patient' models, centred on a detailed molecular characterisation of thousands or even, in the future, millions of patients. In doing so, we lay the foundations for truly personalised therapy, as well as a far-reaching virtualisation of drug discovery and development in oncology and other areas of medicine.
authors.affiliation: Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany; Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wierling
authors.affiliation: Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany; Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.affiliation: Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Lesley A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Ogilvie
authors.affiliation: Alacris Theranostics GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Bodo M H
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Marie-Laure
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Yaspo
authors.affiliation: Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Centre for Genome Research and Medical Systems Biology, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: lehrach@molgen.mpg.de.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lehrach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015195:Drug Design; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents