Researchers at Mount Sinai have developed iDOMO, a powerful AI tool that predicts synergistic drug combinations for complex diseases like cancer
This innovative approach leverages the power of gene expression data and artificial intelligence to predict synergistic drug pairings, potentially accelerating the development of treatments for complex diseases like cancer and offering new hope for patients who haven’t responded to traditional therapies.
Published in Briefings in Bioinformatics on February 20, 2025, this study marks a significant advancement in personalised medicine and drug discovery.
Unlocking the power of combination therapies
Combination therapies, using multiple drugs to attack a disease from different angles, are increasingly vital for treating complex conditions. However, the traditional method of identifying effective drug combinations – through lengthy and expensive trial-and-error experiments – is a major bottleneck.
iDOMO offers a solution by computationally analysing gene expression data, which reveals the activity levels of genes in a biological sample, and gene signatures, distinct patterns of gene activity associated with specific conditions like disease states or drug responses. By comparing the gene signatures of drugs and diseases, iDOMO can predict the beneficial and detrimental effects of combining specific drugs.
iDOMO: A novel approach to drug synergy prediction
iDOMO stands for “integrated Disease-Oriented MOdel.” It represents a sophisticated computational framework that goes beyond simply predicting individual drug efficacy. Instead, it focuses on identifying synergy – the phenomenon where the combined effect of two drugs is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
This is crucial for developing truly effective combination therapies. iDOMO’s strength lies in its ability to analyze complex datasets of gene expression and identify subtle patterns that indicate synergistic interactions between drugs.
Validation in triple-negative breast cancer: A promising start
The researchers tested iDOMO’s predictive capabilities in the challenging realm of triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of the disease. The model identified a promising drug combination: trifluridine and monobenzone. Subsequent in vitro experiments confirmed iDOMO’s prediction, demonstrating that this combination inhibited the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells more effectively than either drug alone. This successful validation underscores the potential of iDOMO to accelerate drug discovery.
The impact on medicine and research: A new era of targeted therapies
iDOMO has the potential to transform both clinical practice and pharmaceutical research. For clinicians, it offers the prospect of more therapeutic options, potentially leading to new and more effective treatments for patients who have developed resistance to conventional therapies. For researchers, iDOMO provides a cost-efficient and scalable solution for identifying synergistic drug pairs, significantly streamlining the drug discovery process. This could lead to a faster development of new treatments for a wide range of diseases, from cancer to autoimmune disorders.
Future directions: Expanding the horizon of iDOMO’s applications
While the initial results are highly promising, the researchers are committed to further developing and refining iDOMO. Future work will focus on expanding its application to other diseases beyond triple-negative breast cancer, further enhancing its predictive accuracy, and integrating it into broader drug development pipelines.
The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive platform that can be used to identify personalized drug combinations tailored to individual patients’ needs, ushering in a new era of precision medicine.
A beacon of hope for patients and researchers
iDOMO represents a significant step forward in the fight against complex diseases. By harnessing the power of computational biology and artificial intelligence, this novel approach offers a more efficient and targeted way to discover synergistic drug combinations.
As research continues and iDOMO’s capabilities are further refined, it promises to bring new hope to patients and accelerate the development of life-saving therapies.
