Virtual development of real drugs
Thursday, July 21, 2016 - 09:31
in Psychology & Sociology
Inside the human body, the same drug can interact with multiple molecules. This phenomenon is known as 'polypharmacology' and, according to the interaction, a drug can cure a disease or cause side effects in the patient. It is therefore critical to create a drug that can hit the right molecular target, minimizing the risk of undesired molecular interactions. This selective interaction has been typically achieved through extensive lab experimentation: each new potential drug has to undergo a long series of trials to check its effectiveness and specificity. The process is time consuming and expensive.