Science News

Key To Future Medical Breakthroughs Is Systems Biology, Say Leading European 
Scientists
ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2009) - Crucial breakthroughs in the treatment of 
many common diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's could be achieved by 
harnessing a powerful scientific approach called systems biology, according 
to leading scientists from across Europe.
In a Science Policy Briefing released January 6 by the European Science 
Foundation, the scientists provide a detailed strategy for the application 
of systems biology to medical research over the coming years.
Systems biology is a rapidly advancing field that combines empirical, 
mathematical and computational techniques to gain understanding of complex 
biological and physiological phenomena. For example, dozens, or even 
hundreds, of proteins can be involved in signalling processes that ensure 
the proper functioning of a cell. If such a signalling network is disturbed 
in any way, diseases such as cancer and diabetes can result.
Conventional approaches of biology do not have the capacity to unravel these 
elaborate webs of interactions, which is why drug design often fails. Simply 
knocking out one target molecule in a biochemical pathway is turning out to 
be a flawed strategy for drug design, because cells are able to find 
alternative routes. It is a similar scenario to setting up a roadblock: 
traffic will grind to a standstill for a short time, but soon motorists will 
start turning around and using side-roads to get to their destination. Just 
as the network of roads allows alternative routes to be used, the network of 
biochemical pathways can enable a disease to by-pass a drug.
Systems biology is now shedding light on these complex phenomena by 
producing detailed route maps of the subcellular networks. These will make 
it possible for scientists to develop smarter therapeutic strategies - for 
example by disrupting two or three key intersections on a biochemical 
network. This could lead to significant advances in the treatment of disease 
and help with the shrinking pipeline of pharmaceutical companies using 
traditional reductionist approaches to drug discovery.
The new policy document, produced by the Life Sciences and Medical Sciences 
units of the Strasbourg-based European Science Foundation (ESF) calls for a 
co-ordinated strategy towards systems biology across Europe. The scientists 
have pinpointed several key disease areas that are ripe for a systems 
biology approach. These include cancer and diabetes, inflammatory diseases 
and disorders of the central nervous system.
The report's authors state that the recommendations outlined in the Science 
Policy Briefing provide a more specific, practical guide towards achieving 
major breakthroughs in biomedical systems biology, thereby covering issues 
that had not been previously addressed in sufficient detail. In particular 
we identify and outline the necessary steps of promoting the creation of 
pivotal biomedical systems biology tools and facilitating their translation 
into crucial therapeutic advances.
The report highlights some recent successes where mathematical modelling has 
played a key role. The conclusions from these examples are that success was 
achieved when quantitative data became available; that even simple 
mathematical models can be of practical use and that the interdisciplinary 
process leading to the formulation of a model is in itself of intrinsic 
value.
This Science Policy Briefing is the contribution of the ESF to the EC funded 
Specific Support Action entitled "Advancing Systems Biology for Medical 
Applications" (SSA LSSG-CT-2006-037673). The recommendations resulted from 
ten workshops, in which more than 110 acknowledged experts from across 
Europe participated.
The report's authors believe that, if this document succeeds in prodding 
European institutions into supporting systems biology, the implementation of 
the recommendations presented will propel Europe to the forefront of 
research in systems biology and, in particular, help this interdisciplinary 
field to fulfil its promise of making a reality of personalised medicine, 
combinatorial therapy, shortened drug discovery and development, better 
targeted clinical trials and reduced animal testing.

Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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