The Effect of Stereoisomeric Differences on Insulin Receptor Affinity

Overview

Diabetes is a disease that can require the hormone insulin to be prescribed as a treatment, resulting in inconvenience and possible deleterious conditions for patients due to the drug’s injection. The purpose of this research project was to analyze the properties of a possible small molecule substitute for insulin that could be ingested instead of injected: chaetochromin. The student researcher tested if two different stereoisomers of chaetochromin (A and B) had significantly different binding affinities to the insulin receptor, a key part of diabetes treatment. The research hypothesis was that the two stereoisomers would have significantly different binding affinities to the insulin receptor due to their difference in structure. To test the hypothesis, the computer-based binding software AutoDock Vina was used to measure the binding affinities to the insulin receptor of each stereoisomer. The conclusion of the experiment is that the two stereoisomers do have a significant difference in binding affinity to the insulin receptor, with the A stereoisomer having a greater binding affinity, meaning that this stereoisomer has a greater potential for being a possible substitute for insulin.

Competition history

• AJAS 2020 Category not listed

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