Structure-Based Drug Design and New Methodologies

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomolecular Crystals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2026 | Viewed by 4

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Colima, Coquimatlan 28400, Mexico
Interests: drug design; supramolecular chemistry; hydrogen bond interaction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, km 9 Carretera Coquimatlán-Colima, Coquimatlán 28400, Colima, Mexico
Interests: medicinal chemistry; natural products chemistry; anticancer activity; molecular docking

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, km 9 Carretera Coquimatlán-Colima, Coquimatlán 28400, Colima, Mexico
Interests: crystallography; medicinal chemistry; organic chemistry; molecular docking

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, the design of new drugs is primarily inspired by studying the structures and functions that result from noncovalent interactions between two or more chemical entities. These interactions include electrostatic forces such as hydrogen bonding, dipole–dipole, ion–dipole and π-π interactions, and hydrophobic effects. They are used to explore molecular recognition and the assembly of well-ordered chemical structures (supramolecular chemistry). These interactions lead to self-assembly processes in host–guest interactions and in cocrystals.

In addition to the noncovalent interactions present in pharmacological systems, this Special Issue also aims to be a window for new proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technologies, which expand therapeutic possibilities beyond conventional inhibition.

This Special Issue will contribute to the field by studying noncovalent interactions for the development of supramolecular chemistry. It will also provide a better understanding of drug behavior in biological systems, enabling us to improve therapeutic benefits.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Javier Martínez-Martínez
Dr. Lina Barragán
Dr. José Luis Madrigal
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • new drugs
  • noncovalent interactions
  • molecular recognition
  • supramolecular chemistry
  • PROTAC

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop