Resumen de Using Molecular Models To Assess Agonists and Antagonists for Cell-Surface Receptors

Daniel D. Schwert, Scott M. Gruenbaum

• A series of tabletop models was built to demonstrate the interactions between a fictional cell-surface receptor, the receptor’s natural ligand, and eight potential therapeutic agents. Students assessed the eight therapeutic agents as agonists, antagonists, or neither agonists nor antagonists, first as a pencil-and-paper exercise and then subsequently using the three-dimensional models. Students found the activity to be engaging and were more accurately able to identify the correct roles of the agents when using the models.