New Method Cuts Costs, Boosts Drug Stability
Researchers at Rice University have developed a cost-effective method to add thiophosphate to chemical structures, which helps stabilize pharmaceutical drugs. This breakthrough overcomes the high costs previously associated with using ATP-S in drug design.
Why it matters
This innovation could significantly lower the cost of developing more stable and effective medications for various diseases.
Pharmaceutical drugs often rely on chemical compounds found in the body. Take phosphate, a common compound cells use as a chemical switch. In a process called phosphorylation, cells can add a phosphate to a molecule and turn its function on. When the function is no longer needed, cells can remove the phosphate through dephosphorylation, turning the molecule back off.
"While this phosphate switch is necessary for cells, it presents a significant issue for drug design," said Hans Renata , a professor of chemistry at Rice University. "Many drugs, especially ones that are based on biological compounds, have phosphate in their chemical structures. Cells can dephosphorylate those drugs as the body processes them, significantly reducing their efficacy."
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