38th Annual Student Research Conference
Computational Investigation of Small-Molecule C5 Inhibitors as a Potential Treatment for Acute and Chronic Inflammatory Disorders
Lauren E. Reid
Dr. Bill Miller III (A.T. Still University) and Dr. Brian Snyder, Faculty Mentors
Acute inflammatory disorders are major contributors to inpatient mortality in the United States. During periods of intense proinflammation, patients may suffer organ damage and increased vascular permeability, which can lead to organ failure, critical hypotension, and coagulopathy. Previous research involving human and animal models has provided evidence for intervention aimed to modulate the exacerbated proinflammatory phase associated with these conditions. Of particular pharmacological interest is the inhibition of complement protein 5 (C5). While activity downstream of C5 is crucial for immune system function, it can become life-threatening when excessively amplified. Moreover, research has suggested C5 inhibition to show promise in the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This project has identified ligands that exhibit favorable interactions with C5 utilizing computational techniques. Ligands exhibiting such interactions will provide crucial direction for future in vivo work focused on developing novel pharmaceutical treatments for acute and chronic inflammatory disorders.
Keywords: complement system, sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), acute respiratory distress syndrom (ARDS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus
Topic(s):Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Exercise Science
Health Science
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 308-2
Location: MG 1000
Time: 1:15