Network-based approach highlighting interplay among anti-hypertensives: target coding-genes: diseases

Area of Science:

• Pharmacogenomics
• Systems Biology
• Network Medicine

Background:

• Hypertension is a prevalent health condition and a risk factor for numerous other diseases.
• Anti-hypertensives (AHs) are the primary pharmaceutical intervention for hypertension.
• Understanding the complex interplay between drug targets, diseases, and drug combinations is essential for therapeutic advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To decipher the intricate connections between hypertension and other health conditions by analyzing anti-hypertensive drug targets.
• To explore the functional associations of target coding-genes (tc-genes) with various health conditions based on AHs clustering.
• To provide a network-based methodology for understanding drug-disease relationships and guiding drug combination strategies.

Main Methods:

• Clustering of anti-hypertensives (AHs) into six groups based on molecular patterns, as per prior research.
• Analysis of molecular functions and cellular components of target coding-genes (tc-genes) within each AH cluster.
• Examination of experimentally validated drug-drug combinations to identify trends in successful AH combinations.

Main Results:

• Target coding-genes associated with AHs frequently link to kidney, heart, brain, and lung conditions.
• A selective association between specific tc-genes and health conditions was observed, indicating targeted therapeutic potential.
• Clinically validated anti-hypertensive drug combinations were found to target distinct molecular entities.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a novel network-based approach linking AH structural diversity to the functional perspective of tc-genes and associated health conditions.
• This methodology offers insights into disease-disease relationships and can inform the development of effective drug combinations.
• The findings support a systems-level understanding of hypertension pharmacotherapy and its broader implications for comorbid conditions.