Selectivity magic bullets

Roth BL, Sheffler DJ, Kroeze WK (2004) Magic shotguns versus magic bullets selectively non-selective drugs for mood disorders and schizophrenia. Nat Rev Drug Discov 3 353-359... 

Liposomal drugs have been suggested to be the magic bullet of cancer therapy due to their ability to accumulate selectively in the tumour. The problem remains that not all cancers and patients respond in the same way. The drug actually delivered to the required site of action plays an important role in the response achieved, while the potential toxicity of the surface modified liposomes in the macrophage system have to be taken into account on chronic administration. 

Figure 10.7. Theoretical basis for utilizing monoclonal antibodies conjugated to a cytocidal effector molecule as a cancer therapeutic agent. Binding specificity for tumour-associated antigen renders the antibody a magic bullet , capable of selectively binding to tumour cells...

An ideal situation would be to have a drug both with specificity and selectivity. But is this possible Can we design such a "magic bullet" ... 

The foundations for the generation of novel pharmaceuticals, the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), were laid approximately 30 years ago. Due to their ability to selectively hit a specific target, the mAbs can be regarded as very closely fitting the concept first proposed by Paul Ehrlich, a century ago, of a magic bullet to treat medical disorders. 

Arsenic was, without doubt, important in the successful treatment of S5q>hilis. The drug Salvarsan (arsphenamine) was discovered by Paul Erhlich during a systematic study of arsenic compounds for a potential cure for syphilis. Salvarsan is a synthetic organic chemical that contains arsenic he had tried more than 600 chemicals when he happened on this one. His quest was based on the behef that he could find a substance that was selectively toxic to the organism that causes syphilis (a spirochaete) but less toxic to the patient, a magic bullet . Only recently, arsenic trioxide (the form of arsenic commonly used for homicide) was licensed by the... 

Paul Ehrlich, the father of immunology and chemotherapy, discovered Salvarsan, an arsenical magic bullet (a favorite phrase of his) used to treat syphilis. He hypothesized at the beginning of this century that it might be possible to find a dye that would selectively stain, or dye, a bacterial cell and thus destroy it. In 19321.G. Farbenindustrie patented a new azo dye, Prontosil, which they put through routine testing for chemotherapeutic activity when it was noted it had particular affinity for protein fibers like silk. 

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