How to perform rational drug design? Lessons from X-ray crystallography, chemical mapping and calorimetry

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Solís, Dolores

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dolores Solis Instituto de Química Física Rocasolano Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Serrano 119 E-28006 Madrid Spain

Abstract: Elucidation of the intricacies of carbohydrate recognition by proteins undoubtedly paves the way for a rational design of carbohydrate-based drugs. Progress towards this goal demands a detailed structural characterisation of the protein target, identification of the ligand determinants essential for recognition and a thorough thermodynamic characterisation of the binding process. To this aim, X-ray crystallography, chemical mapping and calorimetric studies have proved to be highly valuable tools.

Keywords: carbohydrate-binding proteins, galectins, crystal structure, synthetic sugar derivatives, isothermal titration calorimetry, drug design.,

Journal: Electronic Journal of Pathology and Histology, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 06-06, 2001