How the Parts Organize in the Whole? A Top-Down View of Molecular Descriptors and Properties for QSAR and Drug Design
Author: Estrada, Ernesto
Source: Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry, Volume 8, Number 3, March 2008 , pp. 213-221(9)
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
Abstract:
Sometimes the complexity of a system, or the properties derived from it, do depend neither on the individual characteristics of the components of the system nor on the nature of the physical forces that hold them together. In such cases the properties derived from the “organization” of the system given by the connectivity of its elements can be determinant for explaining the structure of such systems. Here we explore the necessity of accounting for these structural characteristics in the molecular descriptors. We show that graph theory is the most appropriate mathematical theory to account for such molecular features. We review a method (TOPS-MODE) that is able to transform simple molecular descriptors, such as logP, polar surface area, molar refraction, charges, etc., into series of descriptors that account for the distribution of these characteristics (hydrophobicity, polarity, steric effects, etc) across the molecule. We explain the mathematical and physical principles of the TOPS-MODE method and develop three examples covering the description and interpretation of skin sensitisation of chemicals, chromosome aberration produced by organic molecules and drug binding to human serum albumin.Keywords: Molecular descriptors; drug design; QSAR; TOPS-MODE; QSPR
Document Type: Research article
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138955708783744128
Publication date: 2008-03-01
- The aim of Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry is to publish short reviews on the important recent developments in medicinal chemistry and allied disciplines.
The scope of Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry will cover all areas of medicinal chemistry including developments in rational drug design, synthetic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, high-throughput screening, combinatorial chemistry, drug targets, and natural product research and structure-activity relationship studies.
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry is an essential journal for every medicinal and pharmaceutical chemist who wishes to be kept informed and up-to-date with the latest and most important developments.
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- In this Subject: Chemistry (General) , Pharmacology
- By this author: Estrada, Ernesto

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