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Structural biology and drug discovery
Miles Congreve1, Christopher W Murray, Tom L Blundell
1Astex Technology, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, UK.
Drug Discovery Today
|July 5, 2005
Summary
Understanding protein 3D structures accelerates drug discovery. Advances in genomics, robotics, and bioinformatics enable high-throughput structure determination for identifying and screening new drug targets.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Knowledge of protein 3D structures is crucial for accelerating drug discovery.
- Recent advancements in genome sequencing, robotics, and bioinformatics have significantly enhanced opportunities in this field.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the transformative impact of new technologies on protein structure determination.
- To emphasize the expanded role of structural biology in modern drug discovery pipelines.
Main Methods:
- Genome sequencing for target identification.
- X-ray crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structure determination.
- High-throughput methods for structure determination and screening.
Main Results:
- Numerous novel protein targets identified through genomic analyses.
- Structural biology now plays a key role in lead discovery, not just optimization and identification.
- High-throughput structure determination provides powerful screening approaches.
Conclusions:
- Protein structure determination is a vital component of modern drug discovery.
- Technological advancements have revolutionized the ability to identify and screen potential drug targets.
- Structural biology is instrumental across the entire drug discovery process, from target identification to lead discovery and optimization.