Introduction to Drug Design

Information gathering to application So far we have been learning about the cell – Observation under the microscope – Organelles and cell cycle – Experimental design to determine regulation – Much more! (Metabolic pathways, intercell signaling, phosphorylation cascades) Now we will see how to change the function of abnormal cells for therapeutic purposes

Types of Drugs Enzyme inhibitors Drug-receptor interactions Non specific interactions

Have you wondered what actually happens when you take medicine? How do antibiotics work?

Basic goals of drug design Change some physiological condition Interact with some element that distinguishes the abnormal from the normal Block/harm the causal agent of condition Develop a chemical that specifically targets that agent

Antibiotics general example Cure bacterial infection Interact with some element that distinguishes bacteria or infection from healthy state Kill/harm bacteria, their function in the body Develop a chemical that specifically targets bacteria

Penicillin specific example Cure bacterial infection Interact with bacterial cell wall Harm bacteria by targeting the enzyme used to make a cell wall- which humans do not have Develop a chemical that specifically binds to the enzyme

Penicillin fungus Staphylococcus aureus infectionnet.org

878/student/activities/proteomics/index.htm l Research: Information gathering Drug design