How a Single Nitrogen Atom Could Transform The Future of Drug Discovery
Researchers at the university of Oklahoma have developed a breakthrough method of adding a single nitrogen atom to molecules, unlocking new possibilities in drug research and development.
Nitrogen atoms and nitrogen-containing chemical structures, called heterocycles, are important in medicinal chemistry and drug development. It was demonstrated that by using a short-lived chemical called sulfenylnitrene, researchers can insert one nitrogen atom into bloactive molecules and transform them into new pharmacophores that are useful for making drugs.
This process is called skeletal editing. This skeletal editing process allows for more drug diversity, because rather than developing new drugs from scratch, researchers can incorporate a single nitrogen atom to make a new set of drugs.
