I am interested in determining what structural characteristics are important in delta-9- THC (the active component of marijuana) and in compounds similar to it in structure that give it the effects that are observed when used by humans, such as altered senses, mood change, impaired body movement, impaired memory, difficulty with problem solving, increased appetite and even more recently, seizure suppression. Delta-9-THC has some unique structural features. My group is looking at small organic molecules with similar structural features in an enzyme based immunoassay (EIA) as a model of what occurs at the receptors in our brains when a person uses the drug. This information would be useful for proposing new drugs that would have significant medical benefits without the negative side-effects for many people that suffer from seizures and that have a loss of appetite as a side effect from cancer treatments.
