Selective Chemotherapy A new chemotherapeutic drug kills bacteria but not humans. Discuss the possible ways the drug may selectively act on bacterial cells.
Selective Chemotherapy Designing a chemotherapeutic drug that selectively targets bacterial cells while sparing human cells is a complex yet crucial goal in medical research. Here are several strategies that scientists may employ to achieve this selectivity:
- Targeting Bacterial Cell Wall Synthesis:
- Many bacteria have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan, a structure absent in human cells. Drugs like beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin) target enzymes involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis, disrupting their structural integrity and leading to bacterial cell death.
- Inhibiting Bacterial Protein Synthesis:
- Bacterial and human cells have differences in their ribosomal structure. Antibiotics like aminoglycosides and tetracyclines selectively target bacterial ribosomes, inhibiting protein synthesis and preventing bacterial growth.
- Disrupting Bacterial DNA Replication:
- Compounds that interfere with bacterial DNA replication, such as fluoroquinolones, specifically target enzymes like DNA gyrase that are crucial for bacterial DNA synthesis. Human cells have different enzymes for DNA replication, making them less susceptible to……..
Designing a chemotherapeutic drug that selectively targets bacterial cells while sparing human cells is a complex yet crucial goal in medical research. Here are several strategies that scientists may employ to achieve this selectivity:
- Targeting Bacterial Cell Wall Synthesis:
- Many bacteria have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan, a structure absent in human cells. Drugs like beta-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillin) target enzymes involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis, disrupting their structural integrity and leading to bacterial cell death.
- Inhibiting Bacterial Protein Synthesis:
- Bacterial and human cells have differences in their ribosomal structure. Antibiotics like aminoglycosides and tetracyclines selectively target bacterial ribosomes, inhibiting protein synthesis and preventing bacterial growth.
- Disrupting Bacterial DNA Replication:
- Compounds that interfere with bacterial DNA replication, such as fluoroquinolones, specifically target enzymes like DNA gyrase that are crucial for bacterial DNA synthesis. Human cells have different enzymes for DNA replication, making them less susceptible to……..
