Briefs

Developed by scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the IRIDESCENT program uses data-mining techniques to discover potential new uses for existing therapies.

The program constructs a network of related objects starting with their co-occurrence within Medline abstracts.

The program "emulates the scientific thought process" in researching data, said Dr Harold Garner, Professor of Biochemistry and Internal Medicine, who developed the system with Dr Jonathan Wren.

See www.bjhc.co.uk/news/1/2004/n41117.htm