What is the Role of Nucleosides in Drug Development?

[schordinger]

The pathway of biosynthesis of nucleotide is commonly available in most textbook, but it is a bit difficult to find out that of nucleoside...

I know nucleoside can be useful drug, and it also exist in living body, but for what ?? for making nucleotide ?? or it form just by dissociation from nucleotide ??

thx~~~~

 

[iansmith]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleoside

Nucleosides are glycosylamines made by attaching a nitrogenous base to a ribose ring. Examples of these include cytidine, uridine, adenosine, guanosine, thymidine and inosine.

Nucleosides can be phosphorylated by specific kinases in the cell, producing nucleotides, which are the molecular building blocks of DNA and RNA.

Nucleoside triphosphates are the energy rich end products of the majority of biochemical energy releasing pathways.

Nucleoside use for drugs are analogous to those used by organisims. Therefore, the analogous nucleoside will be incorporate into the genetic material. These are mostly used in HIV treatment. These drugs interfere with the production of reverse transcriptase synthesis. The idea behind using these drugs is that viruses synthesis is faster than that of human and human have better error-repair mechanisms than retroviruses. Side effects exist.

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/daids/dtpdb/nucana.htm

 

[ravenprp]

Nucleosides play a crucial role in drug development as they serve as the building blocks for the production of nucleotides, which are essential for cellular processes such as DNA and RNA synthesis. Nucleotides, in turn, are important components of many drugs used to treat a variety of diseases and conditions.

In drug development, nucleosides are often used as starting materials for the synthesis of nucleotide-based drugs. This is because they are readily available and can be easily modified to produce a wide range of nucleotides with different properties. Nucleoside-based drugs have been successfully developed and used to treat diseases such as HIV, cancer, and viral infections.

Furthermore, nucleosides also have important roles in the body's natural defense against diseases. They are involved in the regulation of immune response and can act as signaling molecules to activate immune cells. Nucleosides also play a role in the repair of damaged DNA and RNA, helping to maintain the integrity of genetic material.

It is important to note that nucleosides can be found in the body naturally, but they can also be synthesized in the laboratory for use in drug development. In some cases, nucleosides may be used directly as drugs, while in others they may serve as precursors for the production of nucleotide-based drugs.

In summary, the role of nucleosides in drug development is multifaceted. They serve as building blocks for the production of nucleotides, which are essential for cellular processes and can be modified to produce a wide range of drugs. Additionally, they also have important roles in the body's natural defense against diseases. Further research on nucleosides and their functions may lead to the development of new and improved drugs for various conditions.