Molecular target approaches

Skibo, E. B., Jamil, A., Austin, B., Hansen, D., and Ghodousi, A. (2010). Triple molecular target approach to selective melanoma cytotoxicity. Org. Biomol. Chem. 8,1577-1587. 

It may be worthwhile to compare briefly the PECD phenomenon discussed here, which relates to randomly oriented chiral molecular targets, with the likely more familiar Circular Dichroism in the Angular Distribution (CDAD) that is observed with oriented, achiral species [44 7]. Both approaches measure a photoemission circular dichroism brought about by an asymmetry in the lab frame electron angular distribution. Both phenomena arise in the electric dipole approximation and so create exceptionally large asymmetries, but these similarities are perhaps a little superficial. 

Further progress may derive from a more accurate definition of the chemical and physical properties of the humic substances present at the rhizosphere and how they interact with the root-cell apoplast and the plasma membrane. An interaction with the plasma membrane H -ATPase has already been observed however this master enzyme may not be the sole molecular target of humic compounds. Both lipids and proteins (e.g., carriers) could be involved in the regulation of ion uptake. It therefore seems necessary to investigate the action of humic compounds with molecular approaches in order to understand the regulatory aspects of the process and therefore estimate the importance of these molecules as modulators of the root-soil interaction. 

A multitude of semiempirical and semiclassical theories have been developed to calculate electron impact ionization cross sections of atoms and atomic ions, with relatively few for the more complicated case of molecular electron impact ionization cross sections. One of the earlier treatments of molecular targets was that of Jain and Khare.38 Two of the more successful recent approaches are the method proposed by Deutsch and Mark and coworkers12-14 and the binary-encounter Bethe method developed by Kim and Rudd.15,16 The observation of a strong correlation between the maximum in the ionization efficiency curve and the polarizability of the target resulted in the semiempirical polarizability model which depends only on the polarizability, ionization potential, and maximum electron impact ionization cross section of the target molecule.39,40 These and other methods will be considered in detail below. 

Increase number and novelty of molecular targets and approaches (e.g., monoclonal antibodies, gene therapy) Increase throughput of in vitro vs. in vivo assays... 

The coupling step between vector and drug moiety may be performed by either chemical or molecular biological approaches (see Chapter 11 for a more detailed discussion on conjugation strategies in drug targeting research). While the options offered by chemical methods... 

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