Glossary of Terms

Drug Target

A specific protein or gene product that a drug is designed to act on to achieve therapeutic effects. Identifying the right drug target is essential for developing effective and safe treatments.

Efficacious Target

A target that is both genetically linked to the disease and functionally aligned with therapeutic mechanisms, increasing the likelihood of drug success.
Such targets offer the best chance of influencing the disease in a meaningful and clinically beneficial way.

Expression (TPM)

Transcript Per Million (TPM) is a measure of gene expression level in tissues, used to evaluate how active a gene is in different parts of the body.
This helps determine if the gene is expressed in tissues relevant to the disease being studied.

Genotype Module

A set of proteins that are encoded by genes associated with the disease through genetic studies. These form the "genetic foundation" of the disease in the interactome.
Targets near this module are more likely to be involved in disease causation.

Human Interactome

The complete network of protein-protein interactions in human cells, used to map and analyze disease-related modules and targets.
It serves as a framework to understand how genes and proteins are functionally interconnected in health and disease.

Phenotype Module

A set of genes whose expression is altered in disease-affected tissue. In the Spectra Target Ranking framework, these are central to capturing the disease state.
They represent the observable molecular changes that differentiate diseased tissue from healthy tissue.

Proximity to Genotype Module

A score indicating how close a target is, within the protein interaction network, to genes known to be genetically associated with the disease.
The closer the proximity, the more likely the target is to influence the disease mechanism.

Selectivity to Treatment Module

A score reflecting how similar a target's effects are to those of proteins known to reverse disease-associated gene expression. High selectivity indicates that modulating the target may mimic the benefits of effective treatments.

Spectra Target Ranking Algorithm

The algorithm used in the report to score and rank targets based on their proximity to the Genotype Module and selectivity to the Treatment Module. It integrates network science and empirical outcomes to predict which targets are most likely to lead to successful therapies.

Clinical Trial Ranking Report (CTR Report)

A data-driven report that predicts the likelihood a drug target will succeed or fail in treating a specific disease, using the Spectra Target Ranking framework.
It supports data-informed decisions in early-stage drug discovery and target validation.

Target Rank

A position assigned to a drug target based on its combined proximity and selectivity scores; lower ranks indicate higher predicted efficacy. This rank is used to estimate the target’s potential success or failure in clinical development.

Tissue Expression Levels

The amount of a gene's activity (expression) across various tissues, which helps assess the relevance of a target in disease-affected areas (e.g., brain in Alzheimer's). Understanding expression patterns ensures the target is active in tissues where treatment is needed.

Treatment Module

A group of proteins whose modulation has been experimentally shown to reverse the disease expression pattern, representing therapeutic leverage points.
These proteins guide the identification of alternative or complementary drug targets.