The role of macromolecular crystallography and structure for drug discovery: advances and caveats.
In the last decade, macromolecular crystallography has become a standard technique used by the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in their drug discovery projects. This technique offers atomic level detail of drug-target:ligand interactions, the resolution of which is currently unmatched by other methodologies. However, this high level of detail also presents special pitfalls, and requires critical evaluation of the structures. This review will highlight recent advances in crystallography and the use of macromolecular structures in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research. It will also outline the current limitations of the method both generally and as it pertains to drug discovery.
Shiochet
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BK
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. b-shoichet@northwestern.edu
Bussiere
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DE