Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a unique technology to screen new DNA-targeting therapeutics designed to treat cancer and other diseases. Combining SwRI's 3D drug screening software tool and machine learning techniques, SwRI scientists successfully predicted the DNA binding affinity and cancer cell toxicity for a variety of relevant drug compounds under development. SwRI expanded the capabilities of its RhodiumTM drug development tool to visualize and rapidly predict how DNA-targeting therapeutics can attack cancer cells as well other diseases.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for one in six deaths globally. Chemotherapy uses a combination of drugs to slow or stop the growth and spread of cancer cells and shrink tumors. Many of these chemotherapeutics directly target DNA, which can damage the DNA in healthy cells and cause severe side effects, medical complications and even secondary cancers.
While a number of drug development platforms and machine learning methods virtually screen drugs that target proteins, few methods exist for screening drugs that target DNA. SwRI has now successfully demonstrated a virtual screening application to design more effective DNA-targeting therapeutics to combat different types of cancer and infectious diseases. Cancer cells often have damaged DNA repair machinery and replicate much faster than healthy cells, which makes DNA a viable target for selective canc.