Medizinische Chemie

Systems Biology and Systems Medicine: The Technological Tools of the System Approaches to Complexity

Abstract

Alessandra Del Bufalo, Patrizia Russo, Mirta Milic, Christian Pristipino, Massimo Fini and Alfredo Cesario

Progresses made in “omics” research have fueled the collection and storage of large quantities of data. Now these data can be used for knowledge gaining. Systems biology aims at studying biological organisms as interconnected systems. Systems Medicine, by applying systems biology approaches, tries to understand illness in the context of altered regulatory circuitry. Studies in a Systems Medicine framework will enable a better understanding of diseases, and the delivery of a personalized healthcare, tailored on the specific phenotype of each single patient. In this relatively new discipline, the review describes those tools useful in this approach.