Bioinformatic approaches to the study of Chlamydial diseases

The combination of bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics is a rapidly expanding research field that has now become essential for the investigation of biological, cellular and molecular phenomena, both in terms of established facts and in prediction models based on simulations, and therefore can greatly contribute to the development of potential new therapeutic approaches. This article provides numerous, well-known examples illustrating the importance of bioinformatics in modern biological and medical research in the field of infectious diseases, specifically Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Specialized chlamydia databases and analysis programs and the information they contain provide the opportunity for understanding and identifying key processes and phenomena associated with the unique infection cycle of chlamydia, and are paving the way towards the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Bioinformatics may provide the clues necessary for a true breakthrough in the fight against chlamydial diseases: the development of a vaccine.