NRL Crystallographic Studies at the Naval Research Laboratory

National Institute On Drug Abuse

Investigators

Abstract

NRL agrees to continue to operate the Crystallographic Studies Group to provide definitive, three dimensional structural parameters in support of structure activity studies carried out by NIDA grantees and contractors, researchers in the drug abuse area, and the NIDA staff at the Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (DTMC). Two groups of compounds need to be investigated. The first group consists of non-peptide substances that are drugs of abuse, their analogs, related probes, or potential therapeutics. The chemical structures include substances related to cocaine, phencyclidine (PCP), cannabinoids, opiates and others. Within the funding levels provided by the NIDA, NRL agrees to investigate 40 to 50 such compounds per year based upon the degree of difficulty (Group 1). The second group of compounds to be investigated will consist of opioid, and related peptides (CCK-related, FMRF-related, and alpha-MSH related fragments, etc.). NRL agrees to investigate 20-30 peptides per year based upon the degree of difficulty (Group 2).