X-ray may show drug effectiveness

ARGONNE, Ill., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Argonne National Laboratory scientists are revamping an old X-ray technique to study proteins in an attempt to see enough detail to tell if a medicine is working.

The technique is called wide-angle X-ray scattering and was previously used to determine the crystalline structures of polymers. When used on proteins, WAXS results are comparable to those provided by X-ray chrystallography and are easier and quicker to obtain.

The technique is sensitive enough to tell the difference between a drug that is only sticking to the surface of a protein and may have no effect and a drug that is actually changing the protein's structure and therefore is more likely to be effective.

In the past, detecting this difference required the use of several techniques combined. No other previous method has been able to distinguish the difference on its own, or as quickly, the scientists said.