The Quest for the Cure: The Science and Stories Behind the Next Generation of Medicines
Stockwell, professor of biology and chemistry at Columbia University, claims that the success drug companies have had developing specific chemicals to combat disease is likely coming to an end. According to Stockwell, the techniques scientists have used to fight disease up to now, binding drug molecules to proteins, may have reached its limit, as most proteins, it seems, cannot bind with drug molecules; they are "undruggable." But genes are "druggable." Stockwell is impressive in describing a new paradigm of pharmaceutical research that could open a host of new possibilities for currently untreatable diseases involving advances in genomics, molecular biology, and chemistry. By providing accessible explanations for the underlying biological and chemical principles that apply to the complex solutions he describes, Stockwell enables even the scientifically unsophisticated reader to gain a wider perspective on what future disease treatment might entail. He also brings to life the excitement of scientific research by highlighting classic experiments that have shaped our understanding of biological systems and profiling major players in the field. Illus. (June)