Drug targets discovery based on dynamic signal transduction networks

Since last century, drug discovery efforts mostly focus on searching for chemicals which can   inhibit some specific steps in a well-described disease pathway.  However, this kind of highly specific inhibitors can not be effective for complex diseases, like cancer, diabetes, schizophrenia and mental illness.  Therefore, we need to rethink the drug discovery and therapeutic strategies.  In this review, the strategies of selection of cellular signal transduction networks and their dynamics as the targets for drug discovery and pharmacological treatments will be discussed.  The properties and analytical methods of these signal transduction networks, internet sources and software tools for performing these strategies will be described.  Strategies and procedures of using network- based drug discovery will be emphasized, including multi-targets drug design and network-based drug discovery.