Salmeterol : The Optimization of an Asthmatic Drug :: Medical Biology Asthma Medicine

Salmeterol: The Optimization of an Asthmatic Drug Abstract: Asthma can be found in so many people all across world. Asthma is not biased; sex, race, or country does not matter. Asthma affects a large percent of the global population. Becoming aware of this is the first step. Now, using a drug in use, salmeterol, I want to optimize this drug to make it better by giving it different analogs, which will give it different properties. Using the latest technology in the Chemistry Lab, Gaussview and Gaussian 03W aided me in creating models for these analogs and optimizing them. 3 Imagine you are a cross country runner competing in the annual Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational. The finish line is just ahead, and the crowd is going wild with excitement. The top runner is slightly ahead of you, and you decide to sprint the last fifty yards to the finish line, hopefully to attain first place. Nearing the finish line, you suddenly have trouble breathing, and your heartbeat becomes irregular. You quickly realize you are having an acute asthma attack and pull out your inhaler. With a deep breath and a small puff, you feel better. However, the time it took to complete the process cost you, and you will have to settle with second place. Better luck next time! Asthma is a growing chronic condition in America and has taken quite a toll on Americans. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (1), approximately twenty million Americans have asthma, half of which are specifically from allergic asthma. With so many people with the condition, it is no surprise that in 2001, a quarter of all Emergency Room visits were caused by asthma. As a result, health costs for asthma have soared and have hit ten billion dollars annually. Unfortunately, not every person has been able to survive the effects of asthma, and approximately five thousand deaths occur due to asthma yearly. Though the sole cause of asthma is unknown, there are several probable hypotheses as to why one would attain asthma (7). As a result, asthma awareness must be spread. Not only does a large part of the American population have this condition, but they also do not know how they got the condition. This has led me to create a goal: to optimize salmeterol, a drug used for asthma. However, many do not know what asthma is. 4 To fully grasp the concept of asthma, one must first analyze the system that it affects: the respiratory system, which controls the inhalation and exhalation of air. Following the pathway of air, it begins in the atmosphere and enters the body through