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Computer Program Predicts Drug Side Effects

If you have a rare disease, don’t count on big drug companies to find a cure. Your best shot is to find out whether drugs that are already approved by the FDA for other purposes might work as a remedy for your illness.

This year, a team of researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of California, San Francisco developed a computer program to do that. Their software compares the shape of each drug to thousands of other drugs and natural chemicals, and uses that information to predict which biological buttons the drug can push. By looking at the constellation of proteins the drug affects, they can predict how it may affect the body.

The program could help big pharma too. Drug companies often spend millions of dollars testing the safety and effectiveness of a chemical, only to learn that it has unacceptable side effects or is useless. With this simulation technique, they could catch those problems sooner and avoid costly mistakes.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/discoveries-gallery/4/

2009年の10のScientific Breakthroughsの第7位らしい。構造比較により活性予測ってそこまでBreakthroughな感じはしないけど…。ソフトウェアのリリースがってこと?

Vote for 2009’s Sexiest Geeks

Vote for 2009's Sexiest Geeks | WIRED

Marina Orlova
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Taryn Southern
http://starsmedia.ign.com/stars/image/article/922/922951/taryn-southern-20081023003526111-000.jpg




Jessica Chobot
http://kokugamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Jessica-Chobot.jpg


abbegirl
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Ella Morton
http://www.geekillustrated.com.au/images/articles/1355/sepiapinup.jpg


Danielle Cantrell
http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/Matronedea/Misc%20video%20games%20and%20me/you.jpg


Dana DeArmond
http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/44/l_2acdc11f03f0a95f63326f6914688e9e.jpg


Teagan Presley
http://www.doubleviking.com/dv_images/10-5-07/teagan.jpg


Nakagawa Shoko
http://bakaaaa.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/1462663677_e9324ba308.jpg

Singer of the Gurren Lagann opening theme; manga-ka; and gamer extraordinaire

manga-kaって海外でも通じるのかー