Biosimulation in Drug Development

This first comprehensive survey to cover all pharmaceutically relevant topics provides a comprehensive introduction to this novel and revolutionary tool, presenting both concepts and application examples of biosimulated cells, organs and organisms.
Following an introduction to the role of biosimulation in drug development, the authors go on to discuss the simulation of cells and tissues, as well as simulating drug action and effect. A further section is devoted to simulating networks and populations, and the whole is rounded off by a look at the potential for biosimulation in industrial drug development and for regulatory decisions.
Part of the authors are members of the BioSim Network of Excellence that encompasses more than 40 academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities dealing with drug development; other contributors come from industry, resulting in a cross-disciplinary expert reference.

Biosimulation in Drug Development gives the first comprehensive survey of a broad range of pharmaceutically relevant topics and provides an extensive and clear introduction to the novel and revolutionary tool of biosimulation. This book presents modelling concepts as well as application examples for metabolic networks, cells, organs and the body as a whole.

Following an introduction to the role of biosimulation in drug development, the authors go on to discuss the simulation of cells and tissues, as well as simulating drug action and effect. A further section is devoted to simulating networks and populations, and the whole is rounded off by a look at the potential for biosimulation in industrial drug development and for regulatory decisions.

Many of the authors are members of the BioSim Network of Excellence (LSHB-CT-2004-005137) that encompasses more than 40 academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities dealing with drug development; other contributors come from industry, resulting in a broad demonstration of Systems Biology in the pharmaceutical industry.

Martin Bertau is Professor of technical Chemistry at Freiberg University of Mining and Technology and has headed this department since 2006. From 2000 to 2006 he worked as Assistant Professor and head of the Bioorganic Chemistry Group at Dresden University of Technology. In 1997, after completing his PhD from Freiburg University he worked in conjunction with conducting research and education in co-operation with the University of Basle and Basle University of Applied Sciences whilst heading the biotechnology division of Rohner Ltd. in Basle, Switzerland. His key scientific interests include: molecular principles of whole-cell biocatalysis, computational simulation of intracellular interactions in the presence of xenobiotics, methods for the production of semiconducting materials, and applications thereof in chemistry and life sciences.

Erik Mosekilde is Professor in Biological Applications?? of Nonlinear Dynamics and Coordinator of the European Network of Excellence in Biosimulation - a new tool in drug development. He holds both a PhD and a Dr. Sc. in experimental and theoretical physics. Since the late 1970's he has worked on the development on dynamic models of biological systems, emphasizing in particular the mechanisms that can lead to pattern formation and oscillatory phenomena. He has several books and more then 220 papers to his name. Erik Mosekilde has been a visiting researcher and guest professor of 15 institutes worldwide and is on the steering committee or editorial board of several societies and scientific journals.

Hans V. Westerhoff is AstraZeneca Professor of Systems Biology at the Manchester Centre for Integrative Systems Biology as well Professor of Microbial Physiology at the Free University Amsterdam and of Mathematical Biochemistry at??the University of Amsterdam. He has edited several journals, chaired the Steering Committee of the German HepatoSys program and has held the Unilever Chemistry prize, the Prize of the Dutch Biochemical Society and the gold medal of the Royal Dutch Chemical Society. Hans V. Westerhoff has worked on hierarchical control and regulation, the silicon cell, EGF signaling, and DNA structure, as well as exemplifying bottom-up systems biology.