Intro To Med. Chem
Intro To Med. Chem
Introduction
Mahpara Gondal
Lecturer
Objective
• 1. To master the following definitions: medicinal
chemistry, drug, structure-activity relationship,
lead compound, Antisense drugs.
• 2. to be familiar with main research contents of
medicinal chemistry.
• 3. To understand orgins of medicinal chemistry.
Definition
• Medicinal chemistry is a chemistry-based
discipline, involving aspects of biological, medical
and pharmaceutical sciences. It is concerned with
the invention, discovery, design, identification and
preparation of biologically active compounds, the
study of their metabolism, the interpretation of
their mode of action at the molecular level and
the construction of structure-activity
relationships (SARs).
• In particular, Medicinal chemistry also
involves the discovery of new chemical
entities for the treatment of diseases and the
systematic study of the structure-activity
relationships of the active compounds. Such
studies provide the basis for development of
better medicinal agents from lead compounds
found via random screening, systematic
screening and rational design.
• Drug is any substance presented for treating,
curing or preventing disease in human beings
or in animals. It may also be used for making a
medical diagnosis or for restoring, correcting,
or modifying physiological functions.
• Structure-activity relationship (SAR) is the
relationship between chemical structure and
pharmacological activity for a series of
compounds.
• Lead compound is a compound that has a
desirable biological activity with therapeutic
relevance, but typically has some shortcoming
that is likely to be overcome through the
development of analogs.
Emphasis
• 1. Chemcially structural feature, physico-chemical
property, stability.
• 2.Biological effect, adverse effects,
biotransformation etc.
• 3. Structure-activity relationship, drug targets in
living bodies as well as mode of action.
The important role of
drugs in human society
• Drugs have irrevocably changed the fabric of
society by improving both the individual
quality of life and life expectancy.
• Some examples are shown as follows:
• 1. Bacterial and virus infections: polio,
smallpox, tuberculosis and related diseases
have, to a very major extent, become minor
public health concerns.
• 2. An increase in life expectancy resulting
from drug therapy has also led to a shift in
population demographics toward a more
healthy, elderly population.
• 3. Drug regimens for birth control have
improved individual life choices and the
quality of life.
• 4. HIV protease and reverse transcriptase
inhibitors for the treatment of HIV infections have
changed a disease with a fatal prognosis to a
potentially chronic one.
• 5. Cancer is also being viewed as a potentially
chronic, rather than fatal disease with newer, non-
cytotoxic approaches.
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• In 1898, the first commercially available
semisynthetic morphine derivative (ethyl ether)
was introduced as a cough sedative in preference
to codeine or other opiates.
• Meanwhile, diacetylmorphine was introduced as a
safer pain reliever than morphine. It quickly
became popular throughout the world.