Exploration of databases and methods supporting drug repurposing: a comprehensive survey

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Bioinformatics
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Drug development requires understanding mechanisms and side effects.
• Drug repurposing identifies new uses for existing drugs.
• Challenges include data volume and selecting appropriate databases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive survey of drug-relevant databases.
• To guide researchers in drug repurposing efforts.
• To address challenges in data selection and utilization.

Main Methods:

• Compiled and reviewed 102 promising drug-relevant databases.
• Summarized target coverage and data types for each database.
• Provided examples of multi-database exploration for drug repurposing.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of 102 databases for drug repurposing.
• Categorization of databases by data type and target coverage.
• Demonstrated utility of integrated database exploration.

Conclusions:

• A curated database survey simplifies drug repurposing.
• Understanding database offerings is crucial for efficient research.
• Multi-database approaches enhance the discovery of new drug indications.