The Difference between Small and Big Molecule Pharmaceuticals

Living in Eagan, Minnesota, Evan August Weitz earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. Evan August Weitz has completed research in numerous areas of chemistry, with small molecule pharmaceuticals being one area of interest.

A small-molecule pharmaceutical, or drug, can be defined as any organic compound that is able to affect a biological process. To be classified as a small molecule, a drug must weigh less than 900 daltons. A dalton is comparable in weight to a proton or neutron, with one carbon atom weighing as much as 12 daltons. Therefore, anything greater than 900 daltons is considered a big molecule drug.

Besides their weight, the main difference between these two types of drugs is the administration methods available. Small molecule drugs are almost exclusively given in pill form, which is due to their overall simplicity and size. Big molecule drugs may have to be given via injection, which requires a more complex process.

Today roughly 90 percent of all pharmaceuticals are small-molecule, as they are much more cost-effective to produce, and they also have a more defined chemical structure.

Understanding Oxidative Stress in the Brain

In order to support ATP-intensive neuronal activity, which involves metabolic processes, the brain uses oxygen. When there is not enough, a failure in neuronal activity can occur. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between antioxidant defenses and reactive oxygen species, such as free radicals.

Reasons for brain susceptibility to oxidative stress are still being mapped, with one popular theory centering on the random generation of free radicals from oxygen. However, research suggests that generation of these species is positive, in that it sensitizes the brain to situations when redox signaling malfunctions. Proper redox signaling is essential in transmitting messages between cells that help protect and restore cells, and create new ones.

Biochemical reasons for brain susceptibility to oxidative stress include glutamate, unsaturated lipid enrichment, mitochondria, and RNA oxidation. Through understanding the dynamic interplay of factors involved, it may be possible to prevent age-related cognitive issues from occurring.

About the Author:

With an extensive entrepreneurial and chemistry background, Evan A. Weitz guides Absolute Sound Laboratories in Minnesota and provides electronics repair and restoration solutions. Evan A. Weitz has a research background in neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, diseases which are associated with oxidative stress in the brain.

What Is Bergamottin?

Evan A. Weitz obtained a PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota, where he received awards recognizing excellence in graduate studies that included the Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, the Wayland E. Noland Fellowship, and the Laboratory and Scholastic Excellence Scholarship among other honors. Currently, Evan A. Weitz serves as a tutor at Achieve Academics in addition to working as a senior lab technician at Absolute Sound Laboratories in Savage, Minnesota.

Mr. Weitz also applies his background in chemistry as he researches drug interactions as a means to increase pharmaceutical efficacy. Specifically, the use of the natural compound bergamottin is of great interest. Bergamottin belongs to a category of chemicals known as furanocoumarins, and can be found in bergamot, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits.

Along with other furanocoumarins, bergamottin inhibits cytochrome P450 enzymes that metabolize pharmaceutical drugs such as antihistamines and antihypertensives. P450 enzymes, particularly CYP3A4, break down medications before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. By inhibiting these enzymes, bergamottin allows greater drug concentrations to remain in the bloodstream, rendering the drug more effective.

The Boise Geothermal System

Idaho’s most prominent geothermal system is the Boise system, which is situated on the northern margin of the western Snake River Plain graben in the southern part of the state. The earth’s crust is stretched relatively thinly in this area, presenting ideal geological conditions for hot springs. Heat is close to the surface, and a number of more or less open faults allow circulation of water at depth.

The water in the Boise system circulates through a number of these faults and relies on hydrothermal convection to approach the earth’s surface. Because of the number of wells that have been drilled into the fault zone to access this hot water, springs in the Boise system do not flow directly at the surface any longer.

About the Author:

Based in Savage, Minnesota, Evan A. Weitz is the senior lab technician at Absolute Sound Laboratories where he focuses on the restoration and repair of vintage audio equipment. A soaking enthusiast, Evan A. Weitz has a longstanding commitment to the development and maintenance of hot springs in the natural areas of Idaho, Montana, and Washington.