Small molecule drug discovery rational approach

There are two main approaches to discovering small molecule drugs the irrational approach or the more recent structured rational approach. Antisense, RNA interference, and chiral drugs are other drug discovery methodologies. 

The discovery of small molecule drugs can be separated into the irrational and rational approaches. 

Knowled of individual enzymes and receptor-ligand interactions now provides the opportunity for a more directed approach to drug discovery and development. The rational mode of anti-microbial drug discovery has started to bear fhiit with the identification of small molecule inhibitors of the anthrax lethal factor, and the structure-guided discovery of a new inhibitor of RNA translation in bacteria. ... 

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