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Shoichet research one of top breakthroughs for 2009

By UCSF School of Pharmacy Editorial Staff / Thu Jan 7, 2010

archery targets on a lawn

Wired Science has cited a computational model developed in the UCSF School of Pharmacy under the direction of faculty member Brian Shoichet, PhD, and applied and tested by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, as one of the Top Scientific Breakthroughs for 2009. The model calculates and maps new off-target effects of drugs. While drugs are designed to be selective, some bind to several sites which, the authors point out, explains side effects and efficacy. The authors conclude that application of their method of analysis might suggest side-effects and new drug applications.

Full story

Top Scientific Breakthroughs of 2009

Research paper

Predicting new molecular targets for known drugs, Nature, November 1, 2009

Related story

Method to Predict Polypharmacology Developed in Shoichet Lab

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Wired Science, Top Scientific Breakthroughs, off-target effects, side effects, toxicity, drug targets, indications, polypharmacology

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Research, Honors and Awards

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School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, PharmD Degree Program, BMI, QBC, CCB, PSPG, Bioinformatics, Biophysics

About the School: The UCSF School of Pharmacy aims to solve the most pressing health care problems and strives to ensure that each patient receives the safest, most effective treatments. Our discoveries seed the development of novel therapies, and our researchers consistently lead the nation in NIH funding. The School’s doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program, with its unique emphasis on scientific thinking, prepares students to be critical thinkers and leaders in their field.