Matlab Haiyan, a Ph.D. candidate in molecular and cellular biology at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, led the research, which was previously funded by the Department of Nuclear Physics. “One of the more exciting areas for us is the development of computational models of other diseases. These include cancer. These are very unique diseases that are very rare in the genome. It’s really exciting to have these computational models and for us to get a foothold into developing nanoparticle-like drugs that aren’t just generic drugs—it’s whole new therapeutic discovery for a wide range of diseases.” Unlike many health sciences, which develop drugs in isolation from the rest of the body, a computational model of disease can prove useful by probing the mechanisms by which specific molecules are made. “The problems of genetic drift and cell malfunction can be tackled in one specific way, with the help of models of tissue nanotechnology,” C.L.B. said. Explore further: Nanoparticles inspired cancer attacks, suggesting pathways for drug delivery More information: “On the molecular basis of molecular evolution and drug delivery, one-to-one interactions are ideal. Here we investigate how one-to-one interactions induce, under normal conditions, a significant change in a particular site relative the host.” Science (2017 Oct 30). e1004434. DOI: 10.1126/science.1066-8443