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Published online 14 March 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.669
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Gene hunters uncover networks behind disease
New technique offers different route to drug targets.
Researchers have used a new technique to identify networks of genes linked to obesity in both mice and humans. The procedure is more comprehensive than the traditional method of hunting for genes associated with disease, and is already being used to identify new drug targets.
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First, genome-wide association, and now, genome-wide expression combined with genome-wide association, the post-genomic era has truly begun. Finding a few disease-susceptibility loci is one thing and finding molecular targets for developing novel therapeutic agents quite another. The later approach is excellent because it would help bridge the huge gap between the two. More than predictive medicine, it is finding effective therapies through genomics approach that is most promising. The present approach marks the biginning of a new era in drug discovery.
If you are not into computer sharing yet,you may want to consider it. This kind of research is exactly what has been made possible by tens of thousands of computers,worldwide, being connected into one massively parallel computer. I never notice that the program running in the background and my cpu and memory are never used past 50% of that currently in excess of my needs. Boinchome and setihome are two groups that are currently large in this effort.
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Dr. Schadt is absolutely right when stating We are looking at what are the best nodes, or information control points." The problem is that what are good nodes for one disease might be bad nodes for other diseases, because the majority of proteins are multi- functional and highly interconnected. An example: a network of 64 proteins related to cardiovascular diseases, was found to be (partially)associated with 48 other diseases, including six cancers, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and even anorexia and obesity. Could the Holy Grail of the universally best information control points still be found?