Certainly! The reason why sulfa drugs don't target mammalian cells is because of the difference in the way mammals and bacteria synthesize folic acid.
1) Mammals produce folic acid but they use a different substrate in the process compared to bacteria. Sulfa drugs work by inhibiting an enzyme involved in folic acid synthesis. Since the enzyme targeted by sulfa drugs in bacteria is specific to the bacterial process of folic acid synthesis, mammalian cells are not affected because they use a different pathway for folic acid production.
Therefore, sulfa drugs are effective in targeting bacterial cells that rely on the specific enzyme inhibited by the drug without harming mammalian cells that utilize a different substrate for folic acid synthesis. This selectivity is what makes sulfa drugs effective antibiotics against bacterial infections while sparing mammalian cells.
