SK185 - Course Book (Part 2)

6. From herbal remedies to asthma drugs.
Chapter 6 is another interesting one. It starts by comparing the stereoisomers ephedrine and pseudoephedrine to introduce the concept of chiral molecules. Also introduced are the 'flying-wedge' notation for representing 3-dimensional shapes in 2 dimensions. The chapter then looks at molecules that have similar groups to ephedrine to try and identify a molecule that is more specific in treating asthma. Finally the chapter looks at two drugs used in the treatment of asthma, salbutamol and salmetrol, both of which were created using the selectivity information discussed in the chapter.

This chapter makes extensive use of the molecular modelling kit. It is much easier to identify the chiral centre of a molecule if it is modelled in 3d than by looking at a 2d drawing.

7. Captopril - a landmark in drug design.
This chapter looks at captopril, a drug for treating hypertension (high blood pressure) and how it was developed. Rather than taking an existing substance and modifying it to work better, captopril was designed by looking at the enzyme that needed to be 'blocked' and then creating a chemical that binds to the appropriate receptor.

This chapter looks at drug development following a different path to the usual methods. It also introduces 'relative binding strength' as a tool for determining which molecule will more readily bind.

8. War on bacteria - antiseptics, disinfectants and antibiotics.
This is a large chapter covering a massive subject. It starts with a brief look at good bacteria but swiftly moves onto the harmful kind that we want to destroy. The chapter then looks at substances such as phenol, coal-tar and carbolic acid, that kill bacteria by compromising the cell wall. We then move onto modern antibacterial drugs such as penicillin which stop the bacteria from multiplying, as well as some of the ways in which bacteria have grown resistant to these drugs.

Another fascinating chapter covering quite a large field. This chapter pulled chemical ideas developed earlier in the course but didn't introduce any new concepts.

9. Drugs for viruses.
The penultimate chapter in the book looks at viruses. It starts by looking at the influenza virus, going through some of the pandemics of the last 100 years before looking at the structure of the actual virus. At this point computer chemistry is briefly covered as a means of modelling complex interactions quickly. The chapter finishes with a couple of potential influenza treatments.

This is a short but topical chapter in light of the swine flu outbreak of 2009/10. I found it an interesting read that completed the story nicely.

10.Whatever next.
The final chapter briefly looks at what the future holds for medical science.