Structure-based design of anti-infectives

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010 Dec:1213:20-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05859.x.

Abstract

Infectious diseases, caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, or parasites are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The efficacy of all current anti-infectives is threatened by the spread of drug resistance factors, with some already made ineffective, and, as a result, there is a pressing need for a new pipeline of robust anti-infective drugs. In silico approaches, such as virtual high throughput screening and de novo structure-based rational drug design, have been established as powerful tools in drug discovery. In this review, we explore the exciting opportunities for antimalarial, antiviral, and antibacterial drug discovery arising from the new paradigm of structure-based drug design.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology
  • Communicable Diseases / drug therapy
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Computational Biology / trends
  • Computer-Aided Design*
  • Drug Design*
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Software
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents