The Enzyme DNMT-1

Challenge

DNA methylation inhibitors are emerging as a promising approach in the treatment of serious diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. DNA methylation is an essential process that regulates gene expression, but abnormal methylation patterns can lead to the silencing of crucial genes involved in disease suppression. Inhibitors targeting this process aim to reverse these harmful epigenetic changes, reactivating suppressed genes and offering new therapeutic possibilities. By restoring normal gene function, DNA methylation inhibitors hold the potential to treat not only aggressive cancers but also complex neurodegenerative disorders, marking a significant step forward in personalized medicine.

Project goal

To continue research begun under the mentorship of Professor Željko Svedružić († April 20, 2023), a scientific team from the Center for Informatics and Computing (#CIR) at the Ruđer Bošković Institute (#RBI) and the University of Rijeka (#UNRI) secured funding for the EHPC-BEN-2023B11-013 project on the #LUMI supercomputer. This HPE Cray EX system, with 0.3091 Exaflops of power, is the third most powerful supercomputer in the world, located at the #EuroHPC Center CSC in Finland.

Through this #EuroHPC project, the research team has been allocated a valuable 876.00 core hours, providing them with the resources needed for further exploration of the #DNA #methylation field. The research’s goal remains focused on finding new inhibitors of DNA methylation, and the results are expected to enable the development of efficient simulations of DNA structures within the millisecond timeframe.

These advanced investigations not only contribute to understanding the fundamental mechanisms of DNA methylation but also open up possibilities for developing new therapeutic approaches. Scientists are particularly hopeful that their efforts will lead to the discovery of novel DNA methylation inhibitors, the application of which could have a significant impact on the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other complex pathologies.

This research has the potential not only to expand our knowledge of molecular processes in the organism but also to lay the foundation for the development of targeted therapies that could revolutionize medical practice, all with a help of High-Performance Computing (HPC).

CIR Scientist working on the project : Draško Tomić

Source: https://www.hpc-cc.hr