Scientists at UT Dallas have discovered a new way to make “mirror molecules” or enantiomers. These are molecules that exist in two forms (like left and right hands) that are identical in structure but not in shape.

Even though the two forms are chemically the same, they can behave very differently inside the body. For example, one form may be helpful as a drug, while the other might cause harmful side effects.

The scientists have described their research methods and results in a paper published in Science.

The scientists developed a technique that adds a chemical group called prenyl, which is made of five carbon atoms, to other molecules. This process, known as prenylation, is important because it affects how a molecule behaves.

A natural compound called nemorosonol served as a key molecule in the team’s experiments to test their new method of adding prenyl groups to other molecules.

Medical applications of mirror molecules

With this new method, scientists can more precisely control how prenylation occurs, making it easier to create one specific form of the mirror molecule. This control is crucial for drug development, as often only one of the mirror forms is useful for treating diseases.

The ability to produce enantiomers in large amounts could lead to the development of new treatments for various conditions, including cancer and infections.

Current drug manufacturing processes struggle with producing just the right mirror form, often resulting in waste or ineffective drugs. This new method offers a more efficient solution, potentially speeding up drug discovery and improving the safety and effectiveness of new medicines.

In a press release, UT Dallas researcher Filippo Romiti said that this research represents a paradigm shift, because it will allow to “synthesize large quantities of biologically active molecules and test them for therapeutic activity.” Romiti added that the new method mirrors what nature does, and nature “is the best synthetic chemist of all.”

Nemorosonol which could have both antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Romiti and his colleagues tested their nemorosonol enantiomer against lung and breast cancer cell lines.

“Our entantiomer of nemorosonol had pretty decent effects against cancer cell lines,” Romiti said. “This was very interesting and could only have been discovered if we had access to large quantities of a pure entantiomeric sample to test.”

These research results demonstrate the importance for medicine of new molecules produced by synthetic chamistry.

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