IACM Colloquium
Invited Speaker: Dr. Theodora Katsila
Associate Researcher, Research Assistant Professor Head of the Laboratory of Biomarker Discovery & Translational Research,
National Hellenic Research Foundation
Title: “Rewriting the saga: when drug repurposing meets extracellular vesicles”
Abstract:
In the dynamic landscape of chemical biology, drug repurposing expands pharmaceutical research and development portfolia. Despite computational tools are rapidly advancing, they predominantly rely on 1D data. Herein we present the intersection of drug repurposing strategies and the emerging role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as translational biomarkers unveiling exciting opportunities in disruptive health care and innovation. This talk delves into the convergence of these fields, exploring how we harness the power of proteoforms to predict and assess the efficacy and safety of repurposed biomolecules. Next, the transformative potential of structural and image-based biomarkers is key to decipher the multifaceted mechanisms of drug action and gain further insights into repurposing candidates. Prediction capabilities are expedited by wet- and dry-lab validated datasets including AlphaFold models, multi-omics of extracellular vesicles, ADMETox and pharmacogenomics (emphasis is put on missense variants). The characterization of EVs, in particular, can facilitate the identification of biomarkers crucial for repurposing drugs, enabling a deeper understanding of drug mechanisms, patient stratification, and monitoring treatment responses. Sitagliptin, as a prime example, unveils its promise as an allosteric MALT1 inhibitor and illustrates how drug repurposing can be better-informed and optimized, empowering the identification of new therapeutic avenues in chemical biology.
Host: Ioannis Tsamardinos
Date: 15/12/2023 at 11:00
Location: Computer Science Department, room K206
Via Zoom: https://uoc-gr.zoom.us/j/81315862617