Why is the 3D-structure an important issue in drug design and in drug-receptor interaction?
Pharmacological activity of compounds(drugs) depend mainly on their interaction with biological matrices (drug targets), such as proteins (receptors, enzymes), nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and biomembranes (phospholipids and glycolipids). All these matrices have complex three-dimensional structures which are capable to recognize (bind) specifically the ligand (drug) molecule in only one of the many possible arrangements in the three-dimensional space. It is the three-dimensional structure of the drug target that determines which of the potential drug candidate molecules is bound within its cavity and with what affinity. This section of PHAR.331 concerns factors which control three-dimensional shape of organic molecules (drugs) viewed from the perspective of their interaction with potential biological targets. Why is drug chirality an important knowledge for future pharmacists? The current trend in drug markets is a rapid increase of the sales of chiral drugs at the expense of the achira
