Scientists at the international symposium on Tuesday highlighted the role of natural compounds in the treatment of cancer and various other diseases, and said that natural products offer a diverse source of bioactive lead compounds for drug development, especially in the area of cancer therapy.Prof. Dr. Atta-urRahman, Professor Emeritus and former Federal Minister for Science and Technology, delivered the first lecture in the 8th International Symposium-Cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research at the Prof. SalimuzzamanSiddiqui Auditorium, organized by the Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi.In his lecture, he primarily focused on the biological significance of natural compounds and their role in the treatment of cancer.
He also highlighted the synthesis of vinblastine and vincristine-based analogs,the drugs that have been primarily involved in the treatment of a number of types of cancer.
He said that his research had laid a strong imprint in the arena of neurodegenerative diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s. The therapeutic drug candidates, discovered by his research group, haveshown promising results in in-vitro and in-vivo experiments and can provide an ultimate solution for such diseases, he mentioned. The eminent scientist also emphasized the role of scientific research as a key contributor to the progress and prosperity of the nation while providing a roadmap for young minds to achieve new horizons.
On the second day of the symposium, on Tuesday, Dr. Paul W. Denny, Durham University, U.K., showed grave concern over the negligence of Leishmaniasis in the world and said that Leishmaniasis was a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) caused by insect-vector borne protozoan parasites of the Leishmania species. He said, “Hundreds of millions of the global poor, including Pakistan, are at risk. However, vaccines are absent, drug therapy limited, toxic and expensive, and diagnostics inadequate, he lamented.In his lecture, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, the Coordinator General OIC-COMSTECH, and UNESCO CHAIR on Medicinal and Bio-Organic Natural Product Chemistry ICCBS, said that breast cancer was a leading cause of death in women, affecting over a million females annually worldwide.
In general, two-thirds of breast cancers are hormone dependent, and require estrogen hormone for their growth, he said.
Dr. Ikram A. Burney, Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care & Research Center, Muscat, Oman, said that gynecological cancers were the 5th most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide. Over the last few years, there have been significant developments in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers, he said, adding that most of the developments are based on the ability to diagnose cancers more accurately, and with molecular classification.
