Perm Scientists Develop New Heat-Resistant Compounds for Drug Creation

A group of researchers from Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) has created a new class of chemical compounds that could form the basis for antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Pathogens continue to develop resistance to existing medications, forcing scientists to develop new molecules. The created compounds are obtained by chemical synthesis, but they require sterilization for medical use. Traditional methods of heat treatment (at 150-200 degrees) often destroy active molecules, losing their medicinal properties. The new compounds developed at PNRPU have heat resistance that is 20-25% higher than that of conventional biologically active substances.

Researchers note that alternative sterilization methods are often costly and ineffective. A more promising direction is the creation of heat-resistant molecules with a high level of activity after heating. The new compounds are based on the molecule 3-nitrosalicylic aldehyde - a stabilized reagent known in chemistry for its use in the synthesis of complex organic compounds and dyes.

Perm scientists used this molecule as a flexible platform to which various medicinal molecules can be attached. The advantage of aldehyde is that it is like a constructor, allowing you to create new structures. In particular, a molecule of rhodanine, a key component of many antiviral drugs, was added to 3-nitrosalicylic aldehyde.

Associate Professor and Candidate of Chemical Sciences Mikhail Kulikov stated that a complex with copper was developed on the basis of the new compound.

Such structures, where a metal ion is associated with an organic molecule, have special potential. This fundamentally expands the arsenal for creating new generation drugs aimed at combating resistant infections.

Mikhail Kulikov, Associate Professor and Candidate of Chemical Sciences

Scientists tested the heat resistance of the new compounds by placing samples in a special furnace and heating them at a controlled rate. The results showed that the protective molecular framework of the new compounds preserves the target substance even at temperatures above 210 degrees, which increases heat resistance by 20-25% compared to traditional molecules. The discovery will make it possible to create highly effective and stable preparations based on rhodanine without losing their quality.