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Evolutionary inspirations for drug discovery.

Authors :
Zhang HY
Chen LL
Li XJ
Zhang J
Source :
Trends in pharmacological sciences [Trends Pharmacol Sci] 2010 Oct; Vol. 31 (10), pp. 443-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Aug 18.
Publication Year :
2010

Abstract

Conceptual innovations are needed to address the challenge of 'more investments, fewer drugs' in the pharmaceutical industry. Since the publication of The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin 150 years ago, evolution has been a central concept in biology. In this article, we show that evolutionary concepts are also helpful to streamline the drug-discovery pipeline through facilitating the discovery of targets and drug candidates. Furthermore, the antioxidant paradox can be addressed by an evolutionary methodology. Through examining the evolved biological roles of natural polyphenols (which dominate current antioxidant drug discovery), we reveal that polyphenols (particularly flavonoids) are not evolved for scavenging free radicals. This finding provides new clues to understanding why the strong in vitro antioxidant activities of polyphenols cannot be translated into in vivo effects. Polyphenols have evolved a superior ability to bind various proteins, so we also argue that they are good starting points for multi-target drugs.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1873-3735
Volume :
31
Issue :
10
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Trends in pharmacological sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
20724009
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2010.07.003