title: Computational Approaches for Translational Oncology: Concepts and Patents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer is a heterogeneous disease, which is based on an intricate network of processes at different spatiotemporal scales, from the genome to the tissue level. Hence the necessity for the biomedical and pharmaceutical research to work in a multiscale fashion. In this respect, a significant help derives from the collaboration with theoretical sciences. Mathematical models can in fact provide insights into tumor-related processes and support clinical oncologists in the design of treatment regime, dosage, schedule and toxicity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this article is to review the recent computational-based patents which tackle some relevant aspects of tumor treatment. We first analyze a series of patents concerning the purposing the purposing or repurposing of anti-tumor compounds. These approaches rely on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics modules, that incorporate data obtained in the different phases of clinical trials. Similar methods are also at the basis of other patents included in this paper, which deal with treatment optimization, in terms of maximizing therapy efficacy while minimizing side effects on the host. A group of patents predicting drug response and tumor evolution by the use of kinetics graphs are commented as well. We finally focus on patents that implement informatics tools to map and screen biological, medical, and pharmaceutical knowledge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite promising aspects (and an increasing amount of the relative literature), we found few computational-based patents: there is still a significant effort to do for allowing modelling approaches to become an integral component of the pharmaceutical research.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scianna
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Italy, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy. luca.munaron@unito.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Munaron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019295:Computational Biology; D057225:Data Mining; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods*; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D058492:Drug Repositioning; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010330:Patents as Topic; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents