Pharmacological Activities and Mechanisms of Action of Natural Products

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products are small molecules biosynthesized by living organisms that have evolved to modulate biochemical pathways and biological processes. This Special Issue focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which natural products exert their pharmacological activities and therapeutic effects. For centuries, natural products have been invaluable sources of medicinal agents, exemplified by antibiotics, antimalarials, analgesics, and anticancer drugs like penicillin, artemisinin, ziconotide, and paclitaxel, respectively. Unraveling their molecular targets, modes of binding, and regulatory roles can unlock new therapeutic strategies.

This SI welcomes original research elucidating the structural basis of natural products’ bioactivity through techniques like X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, computational modeling, and pharmacological assays. Also of interest are investigations into natural products’ interactions with proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and other biomolecules, underlying their pharmacological effects, and mechanistic studies dissecting their impact on cellular signaling pathways, gene expression, enzyme activities, and other molecular processes. Additionally, this Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge strategies for natural product isolation, derivatization, and molecular target deconvolution to accelerate drug discovery. Through an enhanced understanding of natural products’ mechanisms of action, this Special Issue strives to enrich the pipeline for molecular probes and therapeutic leads.

Dr. Shining Loo
Dr. Antony Kam
Prof. Dr. Lee Simon Ming-Yuen
Guest Editors

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