DrugRepoChatter: a drug repurposing expert chatbot curated by the REPO4EU consortium

Abstract

The amount of scientific literature available is overwhelming, especially in fast-evolving fields like drug repurposing. Researchers face a significant challenge: staying up-to-date is nearly impossible due to the sheer volume of publications, databases, and tools available. This situation creates an urgent need for more efficient ways to access and integrate information from these articles.

To tackle this problem, we developed "DrugRepoChatter", a tool designed to help researchers navigate the flood of recent literature on data sources, methods, and tools relevant for mechanism-based drug repurposing. DrugRepoChatter uses a vector database containing 285 open-access articles carefully selected by experts from the REPO4EU project to cover the latest developments in drug repurposing. The chatbot works by finding semantic similarities between a user’s question and the information stored in the database, effectively answering questions by drawing directly from the content of these articles. DrugRepoChatter is available as a web tool at https://apps.cosy.bio/drugrepochatter/

This tool makes the review process much more efficient and ensures researchers can quickly find relevant information. By facilitating faster access to scientific literature and enabling researchers to easily find the tools and information they need, DrugRepoChatter accelerates knowledge discovery. This tool not only streamlines the process of reviewing literature but also helps integrate scattered information into a cohesive, accessible format.