2. 2
II- Choosing a drug target
3- Target specificity and selectivity between
species
Target specificity and selectivity is a crucial factor in
modern medicinal chemistry research
The more the selective a drug is for its target, the less
chance that it will interact with different targets and
have less undesirable side effects.
For example, penicillin target an enzyme involved in
bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. Mammalian cells does not
have a cell wall, so this enzyme is absent in human cells
and penicillin has few side effects.
3. 3
II- Choosing a drug target
4-Target specificity and selectivity
within the body
Selectivity is also important for drug acting on targets within the body
Enzyme inhibitors should only inhibit the target enzyme and not some other
enzyme.
Receptors agonist/ antagonist should ideally interact with a specific kind of
receptor (adrenergic receptor) rather than a variety of different
receptors, or even a particular receptor type ( such as β- receptor) or even
a particular receptor subtype β2- receptor.
Ideally, enzyme inhibitors should show selectivity between the various
isozymes of an enzyme.
4. 4
II- Choosing a drug target
5-Targeting drugs to specific organs
and tissues
Targeting drugs against specific receptor subtypes often allows
drugs to be targeted against specific organ or against specific
areas of brain.
This is because the various receptor subtypes are not uniformly
distributed around the body, but are often concentrated in
particular tissues. For example, adrenergic receptors in the heart
are predominantly β1 while those in the lungs are β2. If a drug acts on
either, less side effects would be observed.
5. 5
II- Choosing a drug target
6-Pitfalls
The body is a highly complex system. It is
possible to identify whether a particular enzyme
or receptor plays a role in a particular aliments.
For any given function, there are usually several
messengers, receptors, and enzymes involved in
the process
6. 6
II- Choosing a drug target
6-Pitfalls
For example, there is no one simple cause for
hypertension, there are variety of receptors and
enzymes which can be targeted in its treatment. These
include β1-adrenoceptors, calcium ion channels,
angiotessin-converting enzyme (ACE), and potassium ion
channels.
Sometimes, more than one target may need to be
addressed for a particular ailment. For example, most of
the current therapies for asthma involve a combination
of bronchodilator (β2 agonist) and an anti-inflammatory
agent such as a corticosteroid
7. 7
III-Identifying a bioassay
1-Choice of bioassay
Choosing the right bioassay or test system is crucial to
the success of a drug research program.
The test should be simple, quick and relevant as there
are usually a large number of compounds to be analyzed.
Human testing is not possible at such early stage, so
the test has to be done in vitro first. Because in vitro
tests are cheaper, easier to carry out, less
controversial and can be automated than in vivo one.
In vivo tests needed to check the drugs interaction
with specific target and to monitor their
pharmacokinetics properties.
8. 8
III-Identifying a bioassay
2-In vitro tests
They do not involve live animals. Instead, specific
tissues, cells, or enzymes are isolated and used.
Enzyme inhibitors can be tested on pure enzyme in
solution.
Receptor agonist and antagonists can be tested on
isolated tissues or cells.
Antibacterial drugs are tested in vitro by measuring how
effectively they inhibit or kill bacterial cells in culture
9. 9
III-Identifying a bioassay
3-In vivo tests
In vivo tests on animals often involve inducing a clinical
condition in the animal to produce observable symptoms.
The animal is then treated to see whether the drug
alleviates the problem by eliminating the observable
symptoms. For example, the development of non-
steroidal inflammatory drugs was carried out by inducing
inflammation on test animals.
10. 10
III-Identifying a bioassay
3-In vivo tests
The animals used may be transgenic i.e,some mouse
genes are replaced by human genes so the mouse
produces the human receptor or enzyme. Or the mouse’s
gene may be altered to be susceptible for some disease
such as breast cancer.
11. 11
III-Identifying a bioassay
3-In vivo tests
There are several problems associated with in vivo
testing. It is slow and it also causes animal suffering.
There are also many problems of pharmacokinetics and
the result obtained may be misleading. For example,
penicillin methyl ester is hydrolyzed in mice into active
penicillin, while it is not hydrolyzed in humans or rabbits.
Also, thalidomide is teratogenic in rabbits and humans
while it is not in mice.
12. 12
III-Identifying a bioassay
4-Test validity
Sometimes the validity of testing procedure is easy and
clear. For example, the antibacterial drug can be tested
by its effect on killing bacteria. Local anaesthetics are
tested by their effect on blocking action potential in
isolated nerve.
In other cases, the testing procedure is more difficult.
For example, there is no animal model for antipsychotic
drug.
Thus, validity of the test should be carried out.
13. 13
III-Identifying a bioassay
5-High throughput screening (HTS)
HTS involves the miniaturization and automation of in
vitro tests such that a large number of tests can be
carried out in a short period of time.
It involves testing of large number of compounds versus
a large number of targets. The test should produce
easily measurable effect. This effect may be cell
growth, an enzyme catalyzed reaction which produces a
color change (may be a dye) or displacement of
radioactive labelled ligand from its receptors.
14. 14
IV-Finding a lead compound
Once a target and a testing system have been chosen, the next
stage is to find a lead compound. A lead compound is a compound
which shows the desired pharmaceutical activity.
The level of the activity may not be very great and there may
be undesirable side effects.
The lead compound provides a start for the drug design and
development process.
There are various ways in which a lead compound might be
discovered. However, the following are the ways of discovering
the lead compound:
1-Screening of natural products (the plant kingdom, the
microbial world, the marine world, animal sources, venoms
and toxins)
15. 15
IV-Finding a lead compound
2-Medical folklore
3-Screening synthetic compound “ libraries”
4-Existing drugs (Me too drugs & Enhancing the side
effects)
5-Starting from natural ligand or modulator (natural
ligands for receptors, natural substrates for enzymes,
enzyme products as lead compounds, natural modulators
as lead compounds)
6-Combinatorial synthesis
7-Computer aided design
8-Serendipity and prepared mind
9-Computerized searching of structural databases
10-Designing lead compounds by NMR
16. 16
IV-Finding a lead compound
1-Screening of natural products
Natural products are a rich source of biologically active
compounds.
Many of today’s medicines are either obtained directly
from a natural source or were developed from a lead
compound originally obtained from a natural source.
The compound responsible for that activity is known as
the active principle.
Most biologically active natural products are secondary
metabolites with quite complex structures. This has
advantage in that they are extremely novel compounds.
17. 17
IV-Finding a lead compound
1-Screening of natural products
But the disadvantage of their complexity makes their synthesis
difficult and the compound needs to be extracted from its
natural source (i.e. costly & inefficient process).
As a result, there is a need to design simpler analogues of the
lead compounds .
Natural products can be obtained from different sources such
as:
1-The plant kingdom: It is rich source of lead compounds
(e.g. morphine, cocaine, digitalis, quinine, tubocurarine, nicotine
and muscarine, paclitaxel (Taxol, recent anticancer), either useful
drugs as morphine or basis for synthetic ).Plants continue to
remain a promising source of new drugs.
18. 18
IV-Finding a lead compound
1-Screening of natural products
2-The microbial world: microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi
are rich for lead compounds (e.g. Antgimicrobial Drugs: pencillins,
cephalosporines, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, chloramphenicol,
rifamycins).
3-The marine world: coral, sponges, fish and marine
microorganisms have biological potent chemicals, with interesting,
anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer activity. E.g Curacin A
(anti-tumour, from marine cyanobacterium)
4-Animal sources: antibiotic peptides were extracted from the
skin of African clawed frog.
Epibatidine (potent Analgasic) was also obtained from Ecuadorian
frog.
19. 19
IV-Finding a lead compound
1-Screening of natural products
5-Venoms and toxins: from animals, plants,
snakes, spiders, scorpions, insects and
microorganisms. They are potent because they
have specific interaction with a macromolecular
target in the body. Thus, they provide important
tools in studying receptors, ion channels, and
enzymes.
e.g. Teprotide (from venom of viper) was the lead
compound for the development of
antihypertensive agents Cilazapril & Captopril
20. 20
IV-Finding a lead compound
2- Medical folklore
Berries, leaves and roots used by local healer or shaman
as medicines. Many are useless or dangerous and if they
work this may be due to Palcebo Effect.
Some of these extracts indeed have a real effect. (e.g.
quinine (cinchona), reserpine (Rauwolfia), atropine
(atropa beladona), morphine (opium poppy), digitalis
(foxglove), emetine (ipeca), cocaine (coca).
21. 21
IV-Finding a lead compound
3-Screening synthetic compounds
(libraries)
Thousands of compounds have been synthesized . The
majority of these compounds are not used or not been in
the market. They have been stored in compound
libraries, and are still available for testing.
Pharmaceutical companies screen their ‘library’ to study
a new target and find a lead compound
22. 22
IV-Finding a lead compound
4-Existing drugs
A) Me too drugs: Many companies use established drugs
from their competitors as a lead compound in order to
design a drug. By modifying the structure in such way that
avoids the patent restrictions, retain the activity, and
improved the therapeutic properties.
For example i) Captopril (Anti-hypertension) used as lead
compound by different companies to produce their own
anti-hypertension drugs.
ii) Modern penicillins are more selective, more potent and
more stable than original penicillins
23. 23
IV-Finding a lead compound
4-Existing drugs
B) Enhancing a side effect: An existing drug may have a
minor or undesirable side effect, which might be used in
another area of medicine. And such compound could be a
lead compound on the basis of its side effects.
The aim is to enhance the desired side effect and to
eliminate the major biological activity.
e.g. Sulfonamides are Antibacterial agents but some
sulfonamides has convulsive side effect due to
hypoglycaemia effect. This, undesirable side effect was
useful in the development sulfonamides drugs for
treatment of diabetes (e.g.antidiabetic sulfonyl urea,
Tolbutamine).
24. 24
IV-Finding a lead compound
5- Starting from the natural ligands or
modulator
A) Natural ligands for receptors:
Natural ligands of a target has been sometime
used as the lead compound.
E.g. Adrenaline and noradrenaline (natural
neurotransmitters) were used for
developement adrenergic β-agonists such as
Salbutamol, dobutamine, xamoterol, H2
antagonists as cimetidine, and morphine(led to
opiate receptors, and endogenous
opiates:endorphins and enkephalins.
25. 25
IV-Finding a lead compound
5- Starting from the natural ligands or modulator
B) Natural substrates for
enzymes:
The natural substrate for an enzyme
can be used as the lead compound in
the design of enzyme inhibitors.
e.g. enkephalines used as a lead
compound to design an inhibitor of
enkephalinases.
26. 26
IV-Finding a lead compound
5- Starting from the natural ligands or
modulator
C) Enzyme products as lead compounds: enzymes catalyze a
reaction in both directions ,so enzyme products can be used as a lead
compound for an enzyme inhibitor e.g. L-benzyl succinic acid inhibit
enzyme catalyzed carboxy peptidase hydrolysis of peptides.
D) Natural modulators as lead compounds: the natural or
endogenous chemicals that exert allosteric control of receptor or
enzymes called Modulators and can be also as lead compounds.
e.g. Benzodiazepines: were discovered to modulate the receptor γ-
aminobutyric acid (GABA) by binding to allosteric binding site then
endogenous endozepines were discovered.
27. 27
IV-Finding a lead compound
6-Combinatorial synthesis
Combinatorial synthesis is automated solid-phase
procedure aimed at produce as many as different
structures as possible in short time as possible.
The reactions are carried out on very small scale, often
in a way that will produce mixtures of compounds.
Combinatorial synthesis aims to mimic what plants do, i.e.
produce a pool of chemicals.
One of these compounds may be prove to be a useful lead
compound.
28. 28
IV-Finding a lead compound
7-Computer –aided design
Knowledge of target binding site aids in design of novel
compounds intended to bind with that target.
The enzyme and receptors can be crystallized and it is
possible to determine their structure (structure of
protein & binding site) by X-ray crystallography.
Molecular modelling software programs can be used to
study the binding site and to design drugs.
29. 29
IV-Finding a lead compound
7- Serendipity and the prepared mind
Lead compounds are found as a result of serendipity (i.e.
chance)
e.g. i) Cisplatin (Anti-cancer) & peniciilins
ii) Development of propanolol (β-blocking) have
unexpected give a benefit of discover Practolol.
Propanolol is a β-blocker but it is a lipophilic drug and can
enter CNS and cause side effect, by introducing
hydrophilic amide group inhibit passage the blood-brain
barrier and Practolol produced more selective
cardioselective β1 inhibitor with fewer side effects on
CNS.
Sulfonamides and tolbutamide
30. 30
IV-Finding a lead compound
7- Serendipity and the prepared mind
Workers in TNT factories always complained from
headache due to dilatation of brain blood vessels.
TNT was the basis to prepare nitro derivatives
which were used in angina to dilate coronary blood
vessels and alleviate pain.
Mustard gas tanks used in second world war
exploded in italian harbor. They discovered that
persons who survived and inhaled this gas lost their
defense against microorganisms due to destruction
of white blood cells.
This led to the discovery of mustard like drugs
which were used in leukemia to inhibit excessive
proliferation of white blood cells.
31. 31
IV-Finding a lead compound
9-Computerized searching of
structural databases
New lead compounds can be found by carrying out
computerized searches of structural databases.
In order to carry out such search, it is necessary to know
the desired pharmacophore.
Data base searching is known as database mining.
32. 32
IV-Finding a lead compound
10-Designing lead compounds by NMR
Recently NMR spectroscopy has been used to design a
lead compound rather than to discover one.
The method sets out to find small molecules
(epitopes) which can bind to specific binding site.
Lead discovering by NMR can be applied to proteins
of known structure which are labeled with N15.
33. 33
V-Isolation and purification
If a lead compound is present in a mixture of other compounds it
has to be isolated and purified.
The isolation and purification depends upon structure, stability,
and quantity of the compound.
e.g. Fleming recognized penicillin, qualities & non-toxic to human
but could not use it clinically because he was unable to purify it.
He could isolate it in aqueous solution, but when he tried to remove
water the drug was destroyed.
Purification and isolation of penicillins were possible until
development of new experimental procedure such as freeze-drying
and chromatography.
35. 35
7-Herbal medicines
Herbal medicines contain a large variety of different
compounds.
Several of these may have biological activity, but there
is a significant risk of side effects and toxicity. The
active principle present in small amount, so herbals are
expected to be less active than pure compound.
Herbal medicines may be interacting with prescribed
medicines and there is no regulations or control of this
matter and their uses.
But it is an important lead to discover and design new
drugs.