Sandra K. Weller, PhD

Glossary of Scientific Terms 

ADME Testing - includes the following:

  • Absorption/administration - how a compound is introduced to the body.
  • Distribution - how a compound needs to be carried to its effector site, most often via the bloodstream.
  • Metabolism - compounds begin to break down as soon as they enter the body.
  • Excretion - compounds and their metabolites need to be removed from the body via excretion, usually through the kidneys.

Allometry - Relative growth of a part in relation to an entire organism or to a standard: also: the measure and study of such growth. - Merriam-Webster

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) - a herpesvirus (species Human herpesvirus 5 of the genus Cytomegalovirus) that in healthy individuals casus an infection that is asymptomatic, or is accompanied by mld symptoms (as fever or fatigue) but in immunocompromised individuals and newborns may cause an infection marked by serious, sometimes life-threatening symptoms (as pneunomia, hepatitis, retinitis, brain inflammation, or seizures) - Merriam-Webster

Cytotoxic - Toxic to cells. - Merriam-Webster

Drug resistance - The reduction in effectiveness of a medication, such as an antimicrobial or an antineoplastic in curing a disease or condition. -Wikipedia

Dysregulation - Impairment of a physiological regulatory mechanism (as that governing metabolism, immune response, or organ function). - Merriam-Webster

Genotype - All or part of the genetic constitution of an individual or group. - Merriam-Webster

Lytic proteins  - Viruses encode these proteins to cause lysis, which allows virus particles to spread between cells for the viral replication process to begin again. - Quora

Herpesviruses - A large family of DNA viruses that cause diseases in animals, including humans. At least five species are extremely widespread in humans: HSV-1 and HSV-2 cause orolabial herpes and genetial herpes; varicella zoster virus causes chickenpox and shingles; Ebstein-Barr virus is implicated in several diseases, including mononucleosis and some cancers; and cytomegalorvirus. More than 90% of adults have been invected with at least one of these, and a latent form of the virus remains in most people. - Wickipedia

Immunocompetence - The ability of the body to produce a normal immune response following exposure to an antigen. Immunocompetence is the opposite of immunodeficiency or immuno-incompetent or immuno-compromised. - Wikipedia

Immunocompromised - Having the immune system impaired or weakened (as by drugs or illness). - Merriam-Webster (Note: Infants are immunocompromised by virtue of their immune systems being undeveloped.)

Nephrotoxic - Poisonous to the kidney. - Merriam-Webster

Nucleoside - Any of several compounds that consist of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA. - Merriam-Webster

Nucleotidyltransferase - any of several enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a nucleotide residue from one compound to another. - Merriam Webster

Pharmacodynamics PD - A branch of pharmacology dealing with the reactioins between drugs and living systems. - Merriam-Webster (What a drug does to a body)

Pharmacokinetics PK  - 1. the study of the bodily absorption, distribution, and excretion of drugs; 2 the characteristic interactions of a drug and the body in terms of absorption,distribution, metabolism, and excretion. - Merriam Webster (What a body does to a drug)

Phenotype - The observable properties of an organism that are proeuced by the interaction of the genotype and the environment. - Merriam Webster

Polymerase - Any of several enzymes that catalyze the formation of DNA or RNA from precursor substances in the presence of preexisting DNA or RNA acting as a template. DNA polymerase - any of several polymerases that promote replication or repair of DNA usually using single-stranded DNA as a template. - Merriam Webster

Toxicology - A science that deals with poisons and their effect and with the problems involved (such as clinical, industrial, or legal problems) - Merriam-Webster

Tropism - Involuntary orientation by an organism or one of its parts that involves turning or curving by movement or by differential growth and is a positive or negative response to a source of stimulation. - Merriam-Webster

Scientific Terms Explained

When describing our work, we understand that the terms used in the scientific community can be daunting. When you see the owl on the page, clicking on it will bring up explanations of the terms used on that page. In addition, we maintain a Glossary of Scientific Terms, where you can find more.

We hope this feature will enhance your understanding and make you as excited about our work as we are. If we have missed something, please let us know, and we will work quickly to address it.

Detailed info for and about investors

QMD Scientific Strategy

While most therapeutic agents are expected to maintain their efficacy for as long as they are needed, there are some classes of important agents where the useful lifetime is greatly reduced by the onset of drug resistance. The treatment of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic viruses or bacteria and cancer caused by dysregulated human cells is an inherently dynamic system. Pathogenic organisms and malignant cells respond to this drug pressure by selecting for mutants that are not sensitive to the action of the chemotherapeutic agent, a low-probability - yet pivotal- event. Over time, this leads to the emergence of a highly resistant active infection or cancer relapse and progression. In the case of infectious disease, the problem is greatly compounded by the spread of the resistant phenotype which ultimately renders an agent useless, even for new patients.

Currently, medicine attempts to address this problem with combination chemotherapy, whereby multiple agents with differing mechanisms of action are used. As each compound has distinct toxicological and pharmacokinetic profiles, developing effective combinations can be very challenging.

At QMD, we are taking a different approach to the drug resistance problem.

We aim to create robust agents that are anticipated to increase potency and greatly slow the onset of drug resistance. Our approach is to discover and develop multi-targeting agents, whereby a single chemical entity can inhibit two or more essential proteins. Acquiring resistance to these agents requires simultaneous or sequential mutations in more than one gene, an event with an extremely low probability. We we are currently pursuing a number of projects based on the multi-targeting principle with indications in both infectious disease and oncology.

This approach to drug discovery requires a detailed understanding of both the proteins and pathways to be targeted, as well as the chemical knowledge to design drug-like molecules capable of potently modulating two different proteins. The QMD team brings years of experience in genetics, molecular biology, structural biology, biochemistry, and medicinal chemistry to pursue these exciting designs and create new therapeutic modalities for these critical diseases impacting human health.

 

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