afe-antimicrobial-therapy-and-justify-your-synthesis-based-on-selective-toxicity

Question

You are given four drug candidates for development: (A) a fungal metabolite that disrupts bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis, (B) a synthetic compound that inhibits a viral protease, (C) a soil actinomycete product that binds ergosterol, and (D) a synthetic compound that inhibits mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes more than bacterial ones. Rank them from best to worst candidates for safe antimicrobial therapy, and justify your synthesis based on selective toxicity.

Accepted Answer

Best to worst: A (high bacterial selectivity), B (viral protease inhibitor with good selectivity), C (binds ergosterol — effective antifungal but risk depends on host sterol similarity), D (poor candidate because it preferentially harms mammalian mitochondria and would have high host toxicity); this ranking weighs target uniqueness and host similarity

Answer

All are equally good because origin and molecular target do not affect safety or efficacy once a compound is purified to pharmaceutical standards

Answer

Best to worst: D, C, B, A because any compound affecting mitochondria is preferable for therapy, and natural products are always less desirable than synthetics

Answer

B, D, C, A because viral protease inhibitors always cure bacterial infections as well, followed by mitochondrial inhibitors which are broad-spectrum agents