Advancing Personalized Cancer Therapy: Onko_DrugCombScreen - A Novel Shiny App for Precision Drug Combination Screening

Abstract

The employment of drug combinations in cancer therapy plays an important role, enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity. However, the ability to identify and validate effective drug combinations is constrained by the exponential increase in combinatorial possibilities. In this context, we have developed Onko_DrugCombScreen, an innovative tool aimed at advancing precision medicine based on identifying significant drug combination candidates in a target cancer cohort compare to a control cohort. Onko_DrugCombScreen, inspired by Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) process, synergizes drug knowledge-base analysis with various statistical methodologies and data visualization techniques to pinpoint drug combination candidates. Validated through a TCGA-BRCA case study, Onko_DrugCombScreen has demonstrated its proficiency in discerning established drug combinations in a specific cancer type as well as in revealing potential novel drug combinations. By enhancing the capability of drug combination discovery through drug knowledge bases, this novel tool represents a significant advancement in personalized cancer treatment. It offers a novel solution to the challenge of identifying promising drug combinations, setting the stage for the development of more precise and potent combination treatments in cancer care for the future.