Target Identification

From DrugPedia: A Wikipedia for Drug discovery

Revision as of 16:59, 4 August 2008

Target Identification

Target identification is the phenomenon of identifying the molecule where a drug molecule can bind.eg. enzyme etc.Generallythe target molecule is can be two types.

1. Established Target
2. New Target

Established Target molecule are those for which there is good scientific understanding and have history of both how the target functions in normal physiology and how it is involved in human pathology. The more such information is available, the less investment is (generally) required to develop a therapeutic directed against the target.

New Target are all those targets that are not "established targets" but which have been or are the subject of drug discovery campaigns. These typically include newly discovered proteins, or proteins whose function has now become clear as a result of basic scientific research.

Disease Mechanism

Study the disease mechanism is one of the way for identification of target molecule.Understanding the disease mechanism provide a possible way to slow or reverse the disease process.

Disease can be classified into many groups.

1. Autoimmune Disease
2. Genetic disease
3. Infectious Disease
4. Trauma and Acute disease
5. Multicausal disease

Disease Genes

Identification of disease gene is another approach for target identification.Because a mutation in gene leads to change in structure and function of protein .Disease gene can be identified on the basis of hereditary patterns or comparing the disease gene sequence with normal gene sequence.So,identified the disease gene and it's involvement in pathway help in understanding of disease.

Target Type and ‘Drugability’

Functional Genomics