Once a target is validated, the search for a "hit" molecule begins. In HTS, robotic systems test hundreds of thousands of compounds against the target. Pharmacology turns this brute-force process into a precise measurement. The screen is designed to measure a specific functional outcome—not just binding, but a change in the target's activity (e.g., inhibition of an enzyme's fluorescence signal).
Once a lead compound is identified, it enters the preclinical phase. Here, pharmacology answers two critical questions: What does the drug do to the body? and What does the body do to the drug? pharmacology in drug discovery and development
Finding the "Lethal Dose" and "Maximum Tolerated Dose." Once a target is validated, the search for
