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Using power of computers to harness human genome may provide clues into Ebola virus

Date:
December 18, 2014
Source:
Florida Atlantic University
Summary:
New work is blending the power of computers with biology to use the human genome to remove much of the guesswork involved in discovering cures for diseases. A corresponding article describes how key genes that are present in our cells could be used to develop drugs for Ebola virus disease.
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Ramaswamy Narayanan, Ph.D., professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Florida Atlantic University, is working to blend the power of computers with biology to use the human genome to remove much of the guesswork involved in discovering cures for diseases.

In an article titled "Ebola-Associated Genes in the Human Genome: Implications for Novel Targets," published in the current MedCrave Online Journal of Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Narayanan describes how key genes that are present in our cells could be used to develop drugs for this disease.

"Bioinformatics is a powerful tool to help us understand biological data," said Narayanan whose research has focused in this field for more than a decade. "We are mining the human genome for Ebola virus association to develop an understanding of the human proteins involved in this disease for subsequent research and development, and to potentially create a pipeline of targets that we can test and evaluate."

Ebola virus disease is a major healthcare challenge facing the globe today and if left unchecked could become a pandemic. A limited knowledgebase exists about the Ebola virus and companies are hastening to develop vaccines and other forms to treat and cure the virus. There are no FDA-approved drugs, and developing vaccines or antibodies and testing them in clinical trials is an arduous process that takes considerable time. Currently, patients infected with Ebola are only able to receive supportive care such as fluid replacement, nutritional support, pain control, and blood pressure maintenance. In some cases, patients may be fortunate enough to be treated with experimental drugs.

Narayanan's work has helped to identify numerous FDA-approved drugs already used for many other diseases including anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulants, cancer, HIV, statins and hormones, which could potentially be used to add to the current supportive care for patients with the Ebola virus.

"With the high mortality rate of this disease, the world urgently needs new ways to treat patients," said Narayanan. "The ability to use drugs that are already approved by the FDA could provide clinicians with more options to treat Ebola patients, rather than just relying on supportive measures like fluid replacement or antibiotics."

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmissions. The evolving knowledge of this disease is prompting appropriate attention locally and globally. The 2014 Ebola epidemic has affected multiple countries in West Africa with some cases observed in Europe and the United States.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Florida Atlantic University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Ramaswamy Narayanan et al. Ebola-Associated Genes in the Human Genome: Implications for Novel Targets. Online Journal of Proteomics and Bioinformatics, December 2014 DOI: 10.15406/mojpb.2014.01.00032

Cite This Page:

Florida Atlantic University. "Using power of computers to harness human genome may provide clues into Ebola virus." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 December 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218090925.htm>.
Florida Atlantic University. (2014, December 18). Using power of computers to harness human genome may provide clues into Ebola virus. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218090925.htm
Florida Atlantic University. "Using power of computers to harness human genome may provide clues into Ebola virus." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141218090925.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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