ITC as a Tool for Rational Drug Design

Abstract

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a powerful method for determining the thermodynamic contributions of enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy changes (ΔS) on protein-ligand binding. This unique feature of ITC, coupled to advancements in instrumentation, has led to its emerging use in drug discovery. The thermodynamic profiles of the interaction between target protein and potential drug compounds provide effective guidelines for lead selection and optimization. In this review, we describe an example of ITC analysis of a drug target protein, PPARγ and summarize recent trends in the use of ITC as a tool for rational drug design.