MD Medicines by Design

 

MD1 Synopsis

 

An account of the way chemical principles and techniques are used to investigate the effects of chemicals on the body, and to design and make pharmaceutical substances to meet specific needs. Main topics:

• the different kinds of chemicals that enter the body, and their effects;

• alcohol: a drug, a poison and a food;

• the effect of ethanol on the nervous system;

• molecular recognition: the basis of pharmacological activity;

• computer modelling and design of drugs;

• synthesis: making molecules to order

• using spectroscopic techniques to elucidate structure.

 

 

MD2 Learning outcomes

 

Candidates should be able to:

(a)           show awareness of the chemical principles behind methods which can be used to detect ethanol in the body (g.l.c. and i.r. spectroscopy);

 

(b)           describe the following reactions involving aldehydes and ketones:

 

(i)                 formation by oxidation of alcohols,

(ii)                 oxidation to carboxylic acids,

(iii)                 reduction to alcohols,

(iv)                reaction with hydrogen cyanide;

 

(c)           explain the mechanism of the nucleophilic addition reaction between an aldehyde or a ketone and hydrogen cyanide;

 

(d)           describe the structure of a pharmacologically active material in terms of its functional components: pharmacophore and groups which modify the pharmacophore;

 

(e)           relate the action of biologically active chemicals to their interaction with receptor sites;

 

 

 

(f)

 

  discuss the factors affecting the way that species interact in three dimensions:

 

  (i)

size,

 

(ii)

shape,

 

(iii)

bond formation,

 

 (iv)

 

orientation;

 

(g)

 

show awareness of the role of chemists in designing and making new compounds for use as pharmaceuticals

 

(h)

 

Show awareness of the application of computer modelling techniques in the design of

 

medicines;

 

(i)

identify individual functional groups within a polyfunctional molecule, and hence make

 

predictions about its properties;

(j)

use knowledge of organic reactions mentioned elsewhere in these specifications (AS and

 

A2), together with any further given reactions, to devise synthetic routes for preparing organic compounds

 

(k)

 

Use the following terms to classify organic reactions: hydrolysis, oxidation, reduction,

 

condensation, elimination;

(l)

 

classify organic reactions according to their reactions mechanisms:  nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic addition, electrophilic substitution, nucleophilic addition, radical.

 

(m)

 

use a combination of spectroscopic techniques (m.s., i.r., n.m.r. and u.v. and visible) to

 

elucidate the structure of organic molecules.