My beginner intro to drug discovery (part 1)

Today, I will share what I am learning from the WCAIR Drug Discovery Short Course. This course is crucial as it not only provides interns like myself with a comprehensive understanding of drug discovery but also enables us to make significant contributions to Ersilia (the organization I'm interning for).

In this blog post, I will outline some key takeaways from the first talk, titled "Medicine: How do they work?"

Firstly, I gained a clear understanding that a disease is not merely a set of symptoms; rather, it is any condition that disrupts the normal functioning of the body. For instance, in the case of Lyme disease, the visible rash is not the disease itself; rather, it represents the occurrence that transpires between the parasite causing the disease and the nervous system.

I also grasped that a medicine refers to the substance taken to treat an illness, typically in the form of a liquid that is ingested or swallowed. Therefore, tablets, asthmatic inhalers, and similar devices are not medicines per se; instead, they serve as vehicles for delivering medicines. The actual medicines are the chemical structures contained within the tablet, asthmatic inhaler, etc.

The choice of administration route for a medicine (i.e., the method by which it is introduced into the body) depends on several factors, such as the age group of the patient (child, adult, elderly), the duration of treatment, the site of infection, and the desired speed of the medicine's reaction.

It's important to note that the amount of medicine ingested orally does not equate to the amount that reaches the bloodstream. This explains why a doctor may prescribe a specific dosage of tablets to be taken at certain intervals. It is crucial to follow these instructions diligently. On the other hand, intravenous administration is rapid and ensures that 100% of the medicine reaches the bloodstream by bypassing the stomach, intestines, and liver.

The talk covered numerous other fascinating points, but I have highlighted some key ones above. I will continue sharing insights from the remaining talks in future blog posts.