High-Throughput Transcriptome Profiling in Drug and Biomarker Discovery.

Area of Science:

• Genomics and Bioinformatics
• Drug Discovery and Development
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Drug development is a complex, multidisciplinary process.
• High-throughput omics technologies have revolutionized biomarker and drug target discovery.
• Transcriptome analysis reveals gene functions, structures, and disease mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the applications of transcriptome technologies in drug and biomarker discovery.
• To highlight the advantages of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) in these fields.
• To discuss emerging applications of scRNA-seq and third-generation RNA-sequencing tools.

Main Methods:

• Gene expression microarray analysis.
• High-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq).
• Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq).

Main Results:

• Microarrays are effective for drug screening and biomarker detection due to speed and cost.
• RNA-seq offers higher detection flux and lower cost, enhancing biomarker and drug discovery.
• scRNA-seq provides higher accuracy and efficiency, yielding richer data for drug and biomarker discovery.

Conclusions:

• RNA-seq and scRNA-seq show significant promise for drug discovery and development, particularly for natural drugs.
• scRNA-seq offers unparalleled insights into gene expression patterns at the single-cell level.
• Future advancements in RNA-sequencing technologies will further expand their utility in pharmaceutical research.