topic 5 treating disease Flashcards
1
Q
what is an antibiotic
A
- substance that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria
- no effect on cells in the host organism
- produced by lining organisms e.g. fungi
2
Q
how can target molecules for new medicines can be identified
A
- comparisons of the genomes unaffected individuals
- those affected by as disease to identify the potential disease causes alleles, the alleles can be used as a target
3
Q
outline stages of drug development
A
- screening for potential drugs
- preclinical trials
- clinical trials
- approval by a medical agency
4
Q
process of screening
A
- machine to test large libraries of chemical substances
- enables identification if pre-existing chemicals which my affect the target molecule
- scientists can produce a drug that reacts with target molecules in a specific way
5
Q
what do preclinical trials involve?
A
- drug tested on cultured human cells and using computer models to determine its toxicity and efficiency
- tested on live animals to establish a safe dose for humans and observe any side effects
6
Q
what happens during clinical testing
A
- drug first tested on healthy human volunteers to ensure that it is safe to use and has no other unwanted effects on the body
- drug then tested on patients with the disease to determine its efficiency
- dosage is slowly increased until an upper limit is established
- optimum dosage is found
7
Q
what are placebos
A
appears like the real drug but has no effect on the recipient
8
Q
what is a blind trial
A
- participants don’t know if they are receiving the drug or a placebo
- prevents patients bias affecting the results
9
Q
what is a double blind trial
A
where neither doctor nor the patients know who gets the real drug/placebo prevents doctors bias
10
Q
problem associated with placebos on diseased patients?
A
is it ethical to prescribe a diseased patient with a placebo knowing that to will to help to improve their condition?
