EVERYDAY CONNECTION (Copy and Paste)

 

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5632014805880740"

     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

<!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-KK3RM426QN"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-KK3RM426QN'); </script>

    google() // Google's Maven repository

    classpath 'com.google.gms:google-services:4.3.3'

Figure 6.19 Have you ever wondered how pharmaceutical drugs are developed? (credit: Deborah Austin)

Drug Discovery by Looking for Inhibitors of Key Enzymes in Specific Pathways

   Enzymes are key components of metabolic pathways. Understanding how enzymes work and how they can be regulated is a key principle behind the development of many of the pharmaceutical drugs (Figure 6.19) on the market today. Biologists working in this field collaborate with other scientists, usually chemists, to design drugs.

   Consider statins for example—which is the name given to the class of drugs that reduces cholesterol levels. These compounds are essentially inhibitors of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. HMG-CoA reductase is the enzyme that synthesizes cholesterol from lipids in the body. By inhibiting this enzyme, the levels of cholesterol synthesized in the body can be reduced. Similarly, acetaminophen, popularly marketed under the brand name Tylenol, is an inhibitor of the enzyme cyclooxygenase. While it is effective in providing relief from fever and inflammation (pain), its mechanism of action is still not completely understood.

   How are drugs developed? One of the first challenges in drug development is identifying the specific molecule that the drug is intended to target. In the case of statins, HMG-CoA reductase is the drug target. Drug targets are identified through painstaking research in the laboratory. Identifying the target alone is not sufficient; scientists also need to know how the target acts inside the cell and which reactions go awry in the case of disease. Once the target and the pathway are identified, then the actual process of drug design begins. During this stage, chemists and biologists work together to design and synthesize molecules that can either block or activate a particular reaction. However, this is only the beginning: both if and when a drug prototype is successful in performing its function, then it must undergo many tests from in vitro experiments to clinical trials before it can get FDA approval to be on the market.

Reference:

Rye, C.,Wise, R., Jurukovski, V., DeSaix, J.,  Choi, J., & Avissar, Y. (2016). Biology. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/biology/pages/6-5-enzymes

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO CRITICALLY ANALYZE FICTION BY VICTOR MUSHIMBAMI

Image
<script async="" crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5632014805880740"></script> Pexels-photo     IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO CRITICALLY ANALYZE FICTION BY VICTOR First of all, let me define and look at the difference between fiction and non-fiction. According to Learning Easy English, a YouTube channel that teaches English language and literature, fiction "refers to plot, settings, and characters created from imagination" (Learning Easy English, 2020, "Fiction vs Nonfiction", [1](^1^)). Fiction movies or cartoons aim at captivating us. On the contrary, non-fiction is based on real people and the real life stories. Non-fiction movies or materials aim at giving us information and being educational. (Learning Easy English, 2020, "Fiction vs Nonfiction".    It is important to know that there are four main literary genres: drama, fiction, non-fictio...
Read more

Learning Journal by Mushimbami Victor

Image
 <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5632014805880740"      crossorigin="anonymous"></script>   HIV and AIDs Pexels-com photo      Sexual behavior in Zambia: a public health concern Sexual behavior has been widely reported in Zambia, in schools, among government officials, hospitals, churches, and communities. It is all over social media and news. I agree with Ogden (2018), who said that “we can change our behavior by watching those around us and focusing on the behaviors we want to copy” (p. 29). She also said that we can learn behavior from our families, friends, health professionals, teachers, work colleagues, and people we watch on social media. Therefore, those around us can influence how we behave, either negatively or positively. (Ogden, 2018). The behavior is likely to happen again if there are people who cheer and enjoy it. This is what I see in my country and on soc...
Read more

World Relief trainers

Image
  <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5632014805880740"      crossorigin="anonymous"></script> Mindset Shift in 15 World Relief Trainers Preparing to Teach Thousands “Jessica, you need to come to Honduras to help us celebrate this Community Impact Award,” urged fifteen World Relief staff inspired by her enthusiastic belief in them. In her native Spanish, Creating Jobs Academy instructor Jessica Morales had just helped them imagine their governor presenting them with this award five years from now. A festive crowd is gathered to celebrate the hope that’s been multiplied in thousands of graduates of Creating Jobs courses. Jessica knew that envisioning a better future is the first step towards co-creating it with God and each other. Her energy and love are nurturing big dreams for their communities – and she looks forward to seeing their impact first-hand!    In that same train-the-trainer...
Read more