{"id":20706,"date":"2026-10-08T10:17:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T10:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/?p=20706"},"modified":"2026-10-08T10:17:55","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T10:17:55","slug":"many-drugs-have-mirror-chemical-structures-one-helpful-and-the-other-harmful-a-nobel-winning-discovery-allows-chemists-to-make-either-on-demand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.theck1.no\/?p=20706","title":{"rendered":"Many drugs have mirror chemical structures, one helpful and the other harmful \u2013 a Nobel-winning discovery allows chemists to make either on demand"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-rewritten:<\/strong> This is a summary of an article from The Conversation, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.<\/p>\n

The Conversation • Sajish Mathew, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore • October 7, 2026<\/strong><\/div>\n\n

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to researchers who developed asymmetric organic synthesis. This process allows chemists to create only one specific version of a molecule that has mirror-image chemical structures. These versions are called isomers and have the same atoms but different three-dimensional arrangements. The discovery helps pharmaceutical developers produce beneficial forms of drugs while avoiding harmful ones.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sajish Mathew, a researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health, applied this method to resveratrol, a compound found in red grapes and peanuts. Previous clinical trials on resveratrol for Alzheimer’s disease showed inconsistent results. Mathew’s team discovered that two different forms of resveratrol exist: cis-resveratrol and trans-resveratrol. While one form may help cognition, the other can be toxic to the nervous system.<\/p>\n

Mathew found that these isomers interact differently with an enzyme called tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS). In lab tests on rat brain cells, high concentrations of trans-resveratrol depleted TyrRS levels and killed neurons. Conversely, low concentrations of trans-resveratrol could convert into cis-resveratrol in the body, increasing TyrRS levels. Mathew hypothesizes that many failed trials used high doses of trans-resveratrol or did not test cis-resveratrol alone, leading to confusion about its effects on Alzheimer’s patients.<\/p>\n

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Source:<\/strong> The Conversation • Sajish Mathew, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore • October 7, 2026<\/p>\n

Read the original article at The Conversation →<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Conversation, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story. The Conversation • Sajish Mathew, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore • October 7,<\/p>\n

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