A POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF SOLVENT-INDUCED INTERACTIONS IN DRUG DESIGN

We propose to study a new factor in designing new drugs. Most approach es to the drug design problem focus on the direct interactions between the drug and the corresponding target. We propose to study specific s olvent-induced effects that can contribute to the binding Gibbs energy between the drug and its target. We estimate that these indirect effe cts will contribute significantly to the binding affinity and hopefull y improve the clinical efficiency of the drugs.