Toxicogenomics: Japanese Initiative
Toxicogenomics: Japanese Initiative
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毒理基因组学：日本倡议
DOI：
10.1002/3527603719.ch26
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发表时间：
2005
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
T. Nagao
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
T. Urushidani;T. Nagao
1990年开始的人类基因组计划是科学史上的一个伟大里程碑，揭示了人类的整个遗传蓝图[1]。同时，据说它激活了美国的经济，并将其从经济危机中拯救出来。美国以外的人们错过了更早加入这场游戏的机会，因为人们没有意识到该基因本身会成为一个商业机会。日本政府于2000年启动了“千年计划”，以支持和促进基因研究，特别是与痴呆症、癌症、高血压、糖尿病和过敏症这五种严重疾病有关的基因研究。然而，一切都晚了。除了政府的支持外，民间资本的参与对于科学研究的发展是不可或缺的。虽然人们最近才注意到基于基因组科学的商业，但目前投资者的行动缓慢，投资没有很好地集中。在人类基因组计划开始时，人们乐观地认为，一旦发现与某种疾病有关的基因组信息，就有可能立即开发出治疗方法。然而，今天，每个人都意识到这是一种错觉。然而，每当一个与疾病相关的基因被确定或分配时，新闻总是伴随着一个评论发布，即该疾病的药物很快就会出现。这是一个很大的误解。即使在人类基因组几乎没有测序的日子里，由基因引起的大量疾病已经被确定。例如，在1989年发现囊性纤维化的致病基因是CFTR [2]，这一事实本身并没有改变这种疾病的治疗，当然，囊性纤维化今天仍然无法治愈。类似地，可以说家族性阿尔茨海默病的分析对多奈哌地尔的临床开发没有任何贡献。然而，人类基因组的阐明对药物开发的贡献不大，这是不正确的。相反，一旦确定了目标分子，它是与高通量化学合成和筛选系统相结合生产候选化合物的强大而有效的工具。这就是为什么世界各地的制药商都在争夺基因组信息的使用。这种策略真的会加速药物发现吗？
The human genome project, which started in 1990, was a great milestone in the history of science that revealed the entire genetic blueprint of the human being [1]. Simultaneously, it is said that it activated the economy of the USA and saved it from economic crisis. People outside the USA missed their chance to join the game earlier, when it was unrecognized that the gene itself would become a business opportunity. The Japanese government started its ‘millennium plan’in 2000 to support and promote gene research, especially as related to five serious diseases–dementia, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and allergy. However, it was somewhat too late. In addition to support by the government, participation of private capital is indispensable for the development of scientific research. Although attention has only recently been directed to business based on genome science, presently, the movement of investors is slow and investment is not well focused. There was optimism at the beginning of the human genome project that development of remedies would immediately be possible when genomic information related to a certain disease was revealed. Today, however, everybody realizes that that was an illusion. However, every time a disease-related gene is identified or assigned, the news is always released with a comment that a medication for the disease will soon appear. This is a great misunderstanding. Even in the days when the human genome was barely sequenced, a large number of diseases caused by genes had already been identified. For example, in 1989 the causal gene of cystic fibrosis was found to be CFTR [2], and this fact in itself brought about no change in the therapy of this disease, and of course, cystic fibrosis is still incurable today. Similarly, it could be said that the analysis of familial Alzheimer’s disease did not contribute to the clinical development of donepedil at all. However, it is not true that elucidation of the human genome contributes little to drug development. On the contrary, it is a powerful and efficient tool for producing a candidate compound in combination with high-throughput chemical synthesis and screening systems, once a target molecule is decided upon. This is why drug manufacturers around the world compete for the use of genome information. Will this strategy really accelerate drug discovery?