When two becomes one: Creating hybrid molecules with antispasmodic properties

• Published in: Research Features 2024 (152), p.66-69
• Main Authors: Nikolova Atanasova, Stoyanka, Milusheva, Miglena, Todorova, Mina, Gledacheva, Vera, Stefanova, Iliyana, Feizi-Dehnayebi, Mehran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Candidates; Drugs; Experiments; Inflammation; Irritable bowel syndrome; Laboratories; Proteins; R&D; Research & development; Serotonin; Smooth muscle
• ISSN: 2399-1534; 2399-1542; 2399-1542
• DOI: 10.26904/RF-152-6479392862

* Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects around 1 in 10 people. * Dr Stoyanka Nikolova from the University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, has collaborated with fellow researchers to propose new drug candidates that could be used to treat conditions such as IBS. * Using computer and laboratory techniques, the team has explored the effects of a hybrid drug candidate based on two different groups of medications. * The results showed that hybrid molecules exhibited antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, and antispasmodic effects, suggesting they are promising options for preclinical trials. IBS is a functional condition, meaning that treatment centres around managing symptoms and improving quality of life forthose affected. There can be an increase in sensitivity to pain in patients with IBS, known as visceral hypersensitivity. [...]treatment options sometimes focus on managing pain pathways within the gut, as well as pathways that lead to symptoms such as abdominal spasms and cramps. By selecting the proper pharmacophores, or the molecular fragments that contribute to the biological activity, we aim to design a molecule with high therapeutic and minimal adverse effects.