A central challenge for PENTACON in identifying molecular-level causes of NSAID-specificity with respect to efficacy vs. adverse effects is the integrative computational modeling of the activity of the diverse cellular components that are perturbed upon NSAID administration. It is in these two cores that integrate our approaches to systems biology and modeling. In the Systems, Modeling and Computation Cores we describe how PENTACON will produce an outcome that is greater than the sum its component parts. We will use network-based discrete and dynamic computational models to integratively model behavior and functional conservation of diverse biomolecules, accounting for cell-lineage and environmental effects in the context of genomic and environmental variation. We are aware of the levels of complexity in this system that we may not be directly modeling. Indeed, some elements may even violate our assumptions, for example splice variants and discrete impacts of the epigenome. We address these challenges through (1) a combination of diverse approaches, including exploratory studies (such as for microbiome data) and (2) directed modeling efforts and close iteration of modeling and experimental verification with quantitative functional outputs that translate directly to humans. We will also adopt a flexible approach, updating the modeling approaches to information that emerges from our analyses.
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