A Brighter View Of A Hidden World

Living organisms are almost as varied as the stars in the sky. From single cell amoebas to human beings, however, all life has one thing in common: proteins. Individual proteins make up the complex cells and molecules that form life, and help to regulate the processes and actions that take place within each organism.

Proteins are complex compounds that are made up of one or more chains of amino acids. Amino acids are simpler compounds that contain carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen atoms. Compounds are the union of two or more elements into a substance that can't be physically separated, such as by sifting.
 

Within the human body, there are thousands of different proteins. Each has a specific function, some good, some not so good. Proteins make it possible for red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, and help transmit nerve impulses so we can hear, smell, taste, and feel the world around us. Some proteins help fight diseases, while others make it possible for diseases to spread. For example, the protein neuraminidase is a part of the flu virus. By designing drugs that block the action of neuraminidase (neuraminidase inhibitors), researchers are developing treatments for the flu. Some of these drugs are already in clinical trials and, if successful, may soon be on the market.

By determining the structure of a protein, researchers learn how it works. With this knowledge, they can then design drugs that can aid the protein in doing its work, or block it from operating. Since the drugs are designed to work for or against a particular protein, it is less likely that they will react with any other proteins or chemical compounds, making them more effective while reducing potential side effects.