Drug-Receptor Interactions

Conventional treatment of any disease can be achieved by the administration of drugs of natural and synthetic origin. The drug exhibits its pharmacological action by altering cellular signaling or the biochemical events associated with the respective target proteins such as receptors or enzymes. Functional groups/pharmacophores of the drug interact with functional groups present in the receptor’s binding site, complementarily thereby producing effective binding interactions. Key interactions that occur between the drug and the receptor will decide the potency and intrinsic activity of the drug. Major interactions observed in the drug-receptor complexes are mostly of reversible type which consist of electrostatic interactions, ion-dipole and dipole-dipole interactions, hydrogen bonding, charge-transfer interactions, hydrophobic, and Van der Waals interactions. In this chapter, we have discussed the types of receptors, theories and types of drug-receptor interactions, the role of functional groups, and stereo-chemical aspects involved between the drug and the receptor. Further, we have shed light on the development of adenosine receptor antagonists through in silico interactions as a case study.