Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 9, Issue 11, 2009

It is a pleasure to recognize the present milestone of 10 years of continuous publication for this journal, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry (CTMC). CTMC has grown beyond expectations and is now among the top five in the field of medicinal chemistry in terms of Impact Factor. CTMC was originally conceived as a secondary review journal in which top areas of research in the fields of medicinal chemistry and allied disci Read More

Integrating physicochemical, drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, ADME, and toxicity assays into drug discovery in order to reduce the attrition rates in clinical development is reviewed. The review is organized around three main decision points used in discovery including hit generation, lead optimization and final candidate selection stages. The preclinical strategies used at each decision point are discussed from a drug discov Read More

The quinolones trap DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase IV on DNA as complexes in which the DNA is broken but constrained by protein. Early studies suggested that drug binding occurs largely along helix-4 of the GyrA (gyrase) and ParC (topoisomerase IV) proteins. However, recent X-ray crystallography shows drug intercalating between the -1 and +1 nucleotides of cut DNA, with only one end of the drug extending to helix Read More

There is significant experimental evidence implicating the endogenous opioid system (opioid peptides and opioid receptors) with the processes of reward and reinforcement. Indeed, many behaviors associated with reward and reinforcement, for example feeding behavior, are controlled by distinct components of the endogenous opioid system located in relevant brain regions. It has also been shown that regardless of their i Read More

Integrase (IN) is the newest validated target against AIDS and retroviral infections. The remarkable activity of raltegravir (Isentress®) led to its rapid approval by the FDA in 2007 as the first IN inhibitor. Several other IN strand transfer inhibitors (STIs) are in development with the primary goal to overcome resistance due to the rapid occurrence of IN mutations in raltegravir-treated patients. Thus, many scientists and drug com Read More

The p38 kinase plays a central role in inflammation, and it has been the subject of extensive efforts in both basic research and drug discovery. This review summarizes the biology of the p38 kinase with a focus on its role in inflammation. The p38 kinase regulates the production of key inflammatory mediators by cells of the innate immune system, including TNFα, IL-1β, and COX-2. In addition, p38 also acts downstream Read More

TOPAMAX® (topiramate) 1, is a broad-spectrum anticonvulsant that has been marketed worldwide for the treatment of epilepsy and migraine. We discovered this blockbuster drug serendipitously in a project that originally sought a new antidiabetic agent. Topiramate has useful neurological effects that derive from multiple CNS mechanisms of action, but it is basically a “neurostabilizer” by virtue of attenuating the excitability Read More