A drug discovery bottleneck? How cheaper reagents could speed branched molecule synthesis
Why it matters: This method could make early drug discovery faster and more efficient by providing cheaper, more abundant branched molecular building blocks.
- Scripps Research scientists devised a new approach to building branched molecular structures, which are critical for drug binding and safety, potentially accelerating early drug discovery.
- The new method, published in Science, addresses a selectivity problem that has challenged chemists for years, enabling the assembly of complex molecules from simple, inexpensive starting materials.
- Ryan Shenvi, professor at Scripps Research and senior author, states that this work lays the groundwork for accessing iteratively branching materials found in metabolites, fragrances, and drugs, by improving upon existing metal hydride hydrogen atom transfer (MHAT) processes.
Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a new method to synthesize branched carbon structures, crucial for many drug candidates, directly from simpler, inexpensive starting materials called alkenes. This innovation overcomes a long-standing bottleneck in drug discovery by making these complex molecular building blocks more accessible and efficient to produce.
