Bioinformatics for Pharmacists: Utilizing Data in Drug Discovery and Patient Care.

As the name suggests, bioinformatics can be broken down into two parts Bio “comes from the Greek word bios translates to “life” and informatics refers to the computational technologies in processing, managing, and analyzing data. Bioinformatics is a novel interdisciplinary field where the interaction of Biology, Medicine, Math, Physics, and computer sciences is used to analyze large biological data. Moreover, artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in bioinformatics through algorithms analyzing complex data.

Bioinformatics dates back to the 1950s when the Amino acid sequence of Insulin was published. Bioinformatics is essential in identifying and predicting protein structure. This field has enormously evolved over the years, enabling analysis of the collective genome of microorganisms and the whole proteome of samples. In the early 2000s, one of the major achievements of bioinformatics was the human genome project, this project cost 2.7 billion dollars at the time which opened many doors for advancements in life sciences.?

Today, Bioinformatics has several achievements that accelerate discoveries in healthcare. This technology is the foundation of personalized medicine, where a deep understanding of human genetics allows the treatment to be tailored for each individual according to the patient’s genetic polymorphism (pharmacogenomics), and targeted therapies improve clinical outcomes and reduce adverse effects.?

In Contrast to the traditional Sanger sequencing of the DNA which was time-consuming and costly, Next-Generation sequencing (NGS) introduced back in 2004, allowed rapid and cost-effective sequencing of billions of DNA in a single run. In 2007, the estimated price required for human genome sequencing was one million dollars, this price dramatically dropped to one thousand dollars in 2014, and now it only costs $600 making it feasible to identify genetic variations contributing to disease states.?

In addition to that, bioinformatics plays an important role in biomarker discovery for instance identification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations in breast cancer serves as a biomarker for cancer risk as well as a guide for personalized chemotherapy. In 2015, A biomarker PDL-1 was identified that predicts response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, expression of this biomarker is an indication of response to immunotherapies like nivolumab and pembrolizumab for treatment of various cancers like non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer and melanoma. Similarly, Bioinformatics and mass spectrometry identified P-tau217 and P-tau231 which are specific forms of phosphorylated tau proteins as biomarkers of early Alzheimer’s disease detection.?

Furthermore, bioinformatics is a great aid in drug design, as the need for newer drug therapies is a timeless hot topic in the pharmaceutical industry. Historically, drug design was primarily a trial-and-error process, relying heavily on experimental procedures in the lab studying and screening potential compounds for efficacy, this process was time-consuming and required extensive resources while facing the challenge of failure; nowadays, bioinformatics allows researchers in drug design and development to use computational biology and algorithms for effective screening of large compound libraries to predict potentially active compounds against the drug target. As a result, accelerates the process of new drug discoveries as well as drug repurposing. This acceleration of drug discovery was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it enabled rapid sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome using Next-generation sequencing, tracked mutations over the years globally, and led to time-effective production of mRNA vaccines, formulation optimization, clinical trials, and approval of drug treatment like Remdesivir. Similarly, through the analysis of bacterial genomes, bioinformatics was able to identify resistance genes and track the epidemiological patterns among populations, emphasising its major aid in combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR), supporting the development of new antibiotics and the selection of appropriate treatments, ensuring more effective management of existing antimicrobial agents,? and supporting the global antimicrobial stewardship program.

Beyond drug discovery, bioinformatics has aided in revolutionizing other fields, for instance, pharmacovigilance. This area of science is concerned with the monitoring and prevention of medications’ adverse effects. Through obtaining data from medical records, and adverse event reporting systems, alongside wearable devices, bioinformatics tools allow pharmacists to detect trends in drug efficacy and safety, causing quicker actions to be taken to avoid the adverse effects.

In the field of patient care, bioinformatics plays a crucial role in enabling tailored and data-driven health monitoring. Wearable devices and mobile health apps are used to capture enormous amounts of patient data, such as heart rate variability, glucose levels, physical activity, and sleep patterns.? This real-time data gives pharmacists crucial insights into their patients' health conditions, allowing them to make more precise recommendations. Integrating this data with bioinformatics systems can help pharmacists predict health trends, recommend lifestyle adjustments, and ensure medication adherence based on individual requirements. For example, analyzing data from continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) can help pharmacists provide real-time guidance on food, exercise, and medication management to diabetic patients, therefore improving glycemic control.

As the field progresses, pharmacists are expected to have fundamental bioinformatics knowledge. Knowledge of databases such as DrugBank, KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes), and PubChem can help pharmacists uncover drug interactions, comprehend metabolic pathways, and explore innovative therapeutics.?

Looking ahead, the combination of bioinformatics with artificial intelligence and sophisticated imaging methods is expected to further its uses in pharmacy. The ultimate aim is a fully integrated environment in which data-driven insights enable chemists to provide accurate, effective, and patient-centred therapy.

This intersection of bioinformatics and pharmacy not only improves clinical outcomes but also enhances patient engagement, fostering a more proactive approach to healthcare. By utilizing data effectively, pharmacists can bridge the gap between technology and patient care, making personalized healthcare a reality.

In conclusion, bioinformatics is no longer a distant notion, but rather an integral component of modern pharmacy practice. From drug development and pharmacovigilance to antibiotic resistance management and personalised medicine, bioinformatics provides pharmacists with the tools they need to confront various issues of modern-day healthcare. Embracing this multidisciplinary approach allows pharmacists to bridge the gap between technology and patient care, expediting medical breakthroughs while improving patient care quality. This rising collaboration between data science and biological sciences emphasises bioinformatics' critical role in influencing the future of pharmacy.

Article by:

Yara Hatem Aboudewan - IVPN Student Professional Development Committee Chairperson

Mahta Khakpour - IVPN Student Professional Development Committee Vice Chairperson