By isolating one structure at a time, the researchers can now design drugs that work exclusively on one enzymatic form by exploiting their unique structures, he said. X-rays are reflected off crystallized enzymes. These differences in reflections are then analyzed to determine the structure of the enzyme, down to the last atom. The researchers are now working on finding the forms of all three enzymes, which has the potential to create new techniques of combating disorders from impotence to shock to bacterial infections. According to the American Heart Association, hypertension is the most often-cited reason for doctor visits.
Cardiovascular disease kills nearly one million people every year in the United States.
Poulos' group at UCI was assisted in this work by a research group headed by Dr. Bettie Sue Masters at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.