 | Joseph Schlessinger |
Joseph Schlessinger joined the Yale faculty two years ago when he was appointed the William H. Prusoff Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology.
This arrival heralded a new direction for the department mirroring changes in the field of pharmacology.
A recipient of many prizes and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Schlessinger was formerly the chair of pharmacology and director of the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine at New York University School of Medicine.
He spoke recently about trends in pharmacology research and how Yale reflects these changes. He also discussed his own field of study, signal transduction.
The following are excerpts from that interview.
Our major goal has shifted to the discovery of new targets for drug development. It is very difficult today to develop new drugs in an academic setting. It takes many years, and a large team. It is difficult for universities to compete with pharmaceutical companies, who have research and development budgets of as much as $6 billion per year. In order to make a difference in this environment, instead of conducting conventional warfare, we conduct guerrilla warfare.
In the past academic laboratories could actually develop drugs, which in most cases were discovered by serendipity. Aspirin is a good example. It was used for years before anyone had any idea how it actually worked. In the past, drugs were discovered by trial and error and if a drug was efficacious and it didn't have adverse effects, it was considered to be a successful drug. Today with the availability of the blueprint of the entire genome and the great developments in molecular biology, we can for the first time rationalize the process of drug discovery. Drug discovery has become more of an engineering task.
Our goal is to modernize the department, to make dramatic improvements to the laboratories and facilities, and to hire young faculty that will be able to carry on the mission to the next generation. This will be accomplished by hiring people that do excellent work in structural biology, cell biology and genetics -- their research can be applied for the identification of new targets for drug discovery.
Once a new target is identified we have several options: First, we patent the discovery so that the university will keep the right to the intellectual property, then the discovery can be licensed to a pharmaceutical company, or, if the target is really unique, starting a company with Yale as a partner could also be considered.
In the field of signal transduction, we are trying to figure out the rules and the mechanisms underlying the intracellular wiring diagram. Insulin is a good example. We know that insulin is responsible for regulation of blood sugar, as well as many other responses, but the important question is how the action of insulin controls blood sugar and other insulin responses.
The revolution did not come from pharmacology. The revolution came from molecular biology and it has affected every aspect of biomedical sciences. You can really make some amazing drugs today for indications that you might not even have thought of in the past, such as Gleevec, used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, Viagra and the anti-inflammatory Cox-2 inhibitors. Because of the great progress made in molecular biology we now have a better understanding of the mode of action of enzymes, receptors, transcription factors, and signaling pathways, as well as of many building blocks of cells, tissues and organs.
-- By Jacqueline Weaver
T H I S
Revolution in biology leads
department onto a new path
What is the focus of research in pharmacology today?
How is this different from the traditional path of academic pharmacology?
How does Yale exemplify this new trend in pharmacology?
What happens when a new drug target is identified?
What does your research in signal transduction involve?
Are the changes in pharmacology revolutionary?
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Pharmacology department marks opening of new wing
Revolution in biology leads department onto a new path
Yale celebrates 300th anniversary of renowned Russian city
Staff reveal their artistic side in city-wide festival
Evidence of devastating volcano found in tortoises' genes
Team discovers possible drug target for metastatic cancer
Despite adversity, Chinese researcher brings his love of science to Yale
Freshman Addresses
School of Management is honored for its mission . . .
Half of children studied choose toys over sweets . . .
Series will examine issues of illness and health in the African diaspora
Seminars and exhibits honor contributions of Yale ecologist
'Writing in Circles' is theme of this year's Dwight Terry Lectures
Infants' ability to predict actions may emerge as early as 12 months
Sessions to explore prospects, potential of biotechnology
Russian Singing Angels to perform in benefit concert on campus
Memorial Service
Campus Notes
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News
Bulletin Board|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home