Public Health Resources
Date of this Version
4-2008
Abstract
With the decoding of the human genome, researchers gained access to extensive information about the molecules in the body, how they function in the healthy organism, and how they may contribute to certain diseases. However, despite this wealth of information, many questions remain about the ways in which these molecules interact to control more complex phenomena, including the development of many common disorders. Systems biology offers scientists a promising tool with which to deal with such complexities and may revolutionize the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of alcohol use disorders and other multifaceted disorders. These new approaches provide researchers with new opportunities to work together, share data, and use computer technology and mathematical modeling to steer research in exciting new directions.
Contents:
What is Systems Biology?
“-Omics” Technologies: The Driving Force Behind Systems Biology
Mathematical Models and Computer Simulations
Advantages of a Systems Biology Approach
Alcohol and Systems Biology
Applications of Systems Biology in Alcohol Research
Conclusion
References
Comments
Alcohol Alert, #75, April 2008. Published by U.S. Department of Health& Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.