ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Atlanta-based Intellimedix could make a positive contribution to the research efforts accompanying the onset of Ebola by suggesting a new, computational approach for investigating treatment options. Scientists at Georgia Tech's Center for Computational Systems Biology have spent years developing computer programs and algorithms to find alternative uses for existing drugs through systematic repurposing, and their technology might be able to aid the bout against Ebola.
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The basis for the approach that Intellimedix proposes is that since the average drug binds about 300 proteins, the drug may be able to treat diseases besides those for which it was originally created. The major challenge of this approach is that in most cases, the proteins interacting with a drug are unknown and remain to be identified.
Intellimedix's computational algorithm FINDSITE addresses this problem and identifies small molecules, including FDA-approved drugs that can bind to a target of interest. FINDSITE works very quickly and with a higher percentage of human proteins than other methods currently in use. "With lower requirements for the model quality, we are capable of covering a much higher proportion of the proteome—about 86%, and compared to traditional methods, the success rate is much higher," said chief scientist Dr. Skolnick.
This methodology has been effective for repurposing FDA-approved drugs for genetic disorders, as shown by success in both patients and animal models. The algorithms may be able to lead to treatments for Ebola by identifying FDA-approved drugs that can interfere with viral entry into the cell, viral replication, or even potentially making viral infection benign.
Intellimedix has predicted that 50 out of 105 FDA-approved drugs that are known experimentally to modify Ebola activity will bind on 7 of the Ebola proteins, with many other drugs predicted to bind either Ebola proteins or human proteins needed by the virus in order to survive and reproduce.
This innovative methodology represents a computational approach, with the goal of suggesting novel treatments of Ebola in a quicker time frame than classical methods of drug development. Addressing the problem from a different angle could be beneficial—this new computational methodology could contribute to the identification of novel drugs effective at inhibiting the virus.
For more information on Intellimedix, go to: www.intellimedix.com
For more information on Intellimedix's Ebola methodology, go to: www.planebola.com
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