Question

explain what properties must a chemical have to have a therapeutic effect in humans

Answer 1

The properties that a chemical compund needs to have to have a potent therapeutic effect in humans are as follows:

1. A chemical compound must be able to bind its target molecule and eventually switch-off, switch-on or alter a specific biochemical pathway, thus improving the disease condition.

2. The chemical should have the capability of binding minimum one of the following biomolecules - enzymes, intercellular receptors (can be cytoplasmic or nuclear), extracellular membrane receptors or directly to the DNA.

3. The chemical must have the right chemical nature to reach the potent target. For example, if the chemical have an effect on an intercellular receptor protein, it much be hydrophilic in nature or if coupled to a hydrophilic entity, should be able traverse the cell-membrane and physically reach the target.

4. The chemical should be highly specific for its binding with the target molecule. If the molecule binds to numerous other moleculas inside human body, the interactions will be novel and extremely disruptive.

5. The binding of the chemical must occur at a particular site in the target molecule to alter a specific function. For example, the chemical is selected for its binding with the kinase domain of a dimeric protein but instead of focusing on this domain, the chemical goes on to bind the dimerization domain of the dimeric protein. This might have an effect unaccepted inside the cell.

6. The binding of the chemical with its target must be reversible.

7. The chemical must have the ability to reach the specific organ inside the body via the right transportation route. For example, a drug binds a potential target of brain cells but when taken as a medicine, it reaches the heart instead of the brain.

8. The body must be able to remove the chemical throughly from the body. The compund must also be non-toxic to the body.

9. The chemical must have the desired solubility to be dissloved in a solvent to prepare a solution before it can be absorbed by the specific tissue inside the body.

10. The compund must be easily administered such as via oral route, nasal route etc.

11. The compound must be active and effective at low concentrations so that the effective dosages to be administered do not have very high amount of the chemical.

12. The compound must be stable at a wide range of pH since there is a huge variation in pH inside several tissues in the body.