Abstract: Interdisciplinary research has revolutionized the field of medicine and we have witnessed exponential increase in the high-impact research in past few decades. Rapidly developing resistance, modest clinical outcome and off-target effects are some of the major stumbling blocks which have confounded standardization of therapy. Medicinal chemistry and nanotechnology may have the answers to outstanding questions of clinicians and can prove to be efficient in successful translation of therapeutics from bench-top to the bedside. Excitingly, many bioactive ingredients isolated from natural sources having experimentally proven efficacy are currently being tested for improved bioavailability by conjugation with different nanoparticles or by using different nanotechnologically assisted delivery systems.

We work on silver nanoparticles synthesized through microalgae demonstrated considerable anticancer, anti-bacterial and antiviral activity. We also tested different plants for biological activities. Cassia angustifolia was noted to be an effective against different cancer cell lines and microbes. Structures of the bioactive compounds isolated from Cassia angustifolia were elucidated by NMR and ESI-MS spectrometry. Pine roxburgii and Ricinus communis were effective against multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumonae. Moreover biological applications of Ce doped CuO nanoparticles, Cu and Mg Doped ZnO Nanoparticles alone or in conjugation with extract from medicinal plants. We have reported significant antibacterial activity displayed by these conjugates. We also provide evidence of targeted killing of Multi-drug Resistant Bacteria by Ni Doped ZnO Nanorods and Ag doped ZnO nanorods. Recently, we have experimentally verified that Sn doping induced enhancement in the activity of ZnO nanostructures against antibiotic resistant S. aureus bacteria. Future studies must converge on a better and considerably improved understanding of the healing effect and toxicological profiling of the nanotechnologically delivered drugs in animal models.

Dr. Muhammad Ismail ( Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (IBGE), 24 Mauve Area, Sector G-9/1, Islamabad, Pakistan )