Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics Bring Science Fiction Close to Reality

The technology common to science fiction may not be far from our own reality, according to Dr. Gary Reznik, research biologist for the Microbiology and Immunology Division of IITRI's Life Sciences Group.

"We are coming quite close to Star Trek: the Next Generation," Dr. Reznik said, describing the tricorder hand-held computer the show's physician uses to obtain the immediate diagnosis and biological parameters of any given patient. "In the next 20 or fewer years, we'll be able to combine our knowledge in bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, clinical medicine and pharmacology to significantly prolong human life and find highly effective treatments for most diseases."

	"The ultimate goal of bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics and system biology is to be able to model a living system - how it will respond to different stresses, how it will respond to different drugs - that would lead to customized treatment." Dr. Gary Reznik, Research Biologist Microbiology and Immunology

Cutting-Edge Biotechnology Advances Diagnostic Studies

Dr. Reznik, who joined IITRI in August 2002, is working with the Microbiology and Immunology team on novel techniques to support the development of new diagnostic tests for infectious disease agents, taking advantage of cutting-edge biotechnology. One such technique is bioinformatics, one of his specialty areas, which combines biology, mathematics and computer science to serve as a powerful predictive and diagnostic tool in the areas of toxicology and drug-discovery research.

"It allows us to manage enormous amounts of biological, chemical and physiological information and to find and quickly extract needed information," enabling scientists to narrow in on specific targets, such as the identification and comparison of individual genes and their functions, Dr. Reznik said.

Bioinformatics works in conjunction with genomics, which studies the behavior of genes, proteomics, which studies the behavior of proteins produced by those genes, and system biology, which studies the behavior of protein networks. This technology is expected to provide faster, more accurate results than traditional diagnostic testing, saving time, money and, potentially, lives, as a result.

"The ultimate goal of bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics and system biology is to be able to model a living system - how it will respond to different stresses, how it will respond to different drugs - that would lead to customized treatment," said Dr. Reznik, who received a Ph.D. in chemistry/biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

Division Boasts History of Successes

IITRI's Microbiology and Immunology Division is exploring these research areas in addition to developing programs ranging from initial determination of drug resistivity to complex non-clinical immunotoxicity evaluations for sponsors in government and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Working for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), IITRI was one of three laboratories providing data for the validation of immunotoxicology techniques, leading to the acceptance of related immunotoxicology guidelines by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Techniques validated included the Natural Killer Cell (NKC) and Antibody Forming Cell (AFC) assays, in vivo Infectivity models employing Listeria and Streptococcus, tumor models, B- and T-Cell Lymphocyte assays, and Macrophage assay development.

IITRI performed similar studies, in collaboration with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), to determine the effect of drugs of abuse on the immune system. IITRI also established an in vitro testing method supported by the Division of AIDS to evaluate the impact of mixed chemotherapies on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

IITRI's Microbiology and Immunology Division also has worked with the EPA to develop air and water quality standards for regulatory approval by determining acceptable limits of exposure, developing animal model systems to measure the interactions of various concentrations of pollutants with respiratory viral and bacterial infections, and the subsequent impact on the health of the animal. The division's staff has expertise in designing preclinical drug safety and efficacy studies including evaluation of the immune system as a potential target organ.

Enhanced Capabilities Benefit Sponsors

Dr. Reznik's knowledge of bioinformatics, genomics, and in silico (computer-based) methods for toxicology and drug-discovery research enhances the division's capabilities and value to existing and potential sponsors, said Dr. Lou Holland, Group Leader of Molecular Biology and Virology in the Microbiology and Immunology Division.

"We are very pleased that Dr. Reznik has joined our group," said Dr. Robert Sherwood, Manager of the Microbiology and Immunology Division. "He supplements and broadens the capabilities of our molecular biology group, which is already one of the best in the country in developing sensitive molecular diagnostic assays."

"Gary brings considerable experience in the areas of functional genomics and database mining, and is well versed in the use of various software applications and programming based on the UNIX operating system," Dr. Holland said. "Another unique capability he provides is in the area of neurodegenerative processes, including those associated with prions" (infectious agents responsible for the transmission of certain degenerative diseases).

Once relegated to the world of science fiction, complete and immediate knowledge of any living system is within the reach of modern scientists, Dr. Reznik maintains. "Twenty years ago I would have said you were nuts. Now, it's very obvious that it's coming."