Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR & Secretary DSIR addressing the audience at the inauguration of “Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research (CTDDR-2022)” at CSIR-CDIR, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Day one was dedicated to “New strategies in synthetic and medicinal chemistry”
The 9th “International Symposium on Current Trends in Drug Discovery Research” inaugurated yesterday at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow. Dr. Radha Rangrajan, Director CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow, welcomed all the dignitaries present in this mega event. She briefed about the details of this very important Drug discovery conference and set the tone for the participants that how they can utilize this opportunity for learning, networking and upgrading their research skills
“Science has no borders”: Dr. N. Kalaiselvi
The Chief Guest of the program, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR & Secretary DSIR addressed the audience. Dr. Kalaiselvi highlighted the event’s significance as a platform for knowledge exchange. She stressed that such gatherings provide a great opportunity for researchers, industry leaders, and young minds to collaborate, fostering innovation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare.”Science has no borders, and this program is a gateway for global collaboration,” she remarked, underlining the importance of international cooperation in research and development. She urged students to take inspiration from these discussions and work towards making India a global leader in science and technology by 2047.
Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolution in drug discovery: Prof. Balram Bhargava
The Guest of Honour the program, Prof. Balram Bhargava, Dean and Senior Consultant, Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi & Former Director General, ICMR also addressed the audience. Dr. Balram Bhargava, emphasizes that India’s strength in drug discovery stems from its rich heritage in chemistry, making it a global hub for pharmaceutical advancements.The country has consistently demonstrated its ability to produce high-quality, affordable medicines, ensuring healthcare accessibility worldwide. However, challenges such as the availability of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and the need for new drug discoveries remain key areas of focus. Further he said that the integration of Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize drug discovery, accelerating research and reducing costs. Also he said that Collaboration has been a cornerstone of India’s pharmaceutical success, as seen in the development of vaccines. Market shaping is equally important, ensuring that innovations reach the masses while maintaining India’s leadership in cost-effective healthcare solutions.
Journey towards the development of drugs for pain treatment
(Prof. Christopher Robert McCurdy)
In the inaugural program, Prof. Christopher Robert McCurdy, Professor and The Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair, University of Florida, USA, has delivered the inaugural talk on “Seeing Pain: from the lab to the clinic, a medicinal chemist’s journey.” In his oration, he brought up the role of Sigma-1 receptors in pain processing. He further talked about the journey of the discovery and development of a tracer molecule FTC146, which acts as a selective ligand for Sigma-1 receptors. This tracer can locate sites of nerve damage in peripheral nerves, which can result in better pain management and, in certain situations, cured pain. This tracer has completed Phase 1 human clinical trials and can be a breakthrough in pain management strategies.
Targeting cofactor biosynthesis for the development of new antimicrobial agents with novel mechanism of action
(Prof. Courtney C. Aldrich)
Later in the Session II today, Prof. Courtney C. Aldrich from the University of Minnesota, USA, He online discussed about the novel approaches in targeting cofactor biosynthesis in order to develop new antimicrobial agents with novel mechanisms. He shared his efforts to design novel anti-tubercular agents against two elusive targets for which there are no effective small molecules. They discovered promising inhibitor chemotypes and optimized them for bioactivity and drug disposition characteristics using complementary techniques. He also discussed the difficulties he encountered during the optimization campaign and how he overcame them through the integration of mechanism of action studies. He also shared his most recent research to develop next-generation Rifamycin derivatives that overcome multiple resistance mechanisms.
Eliciting agonism-antagonism in endosomal toll-like receptor modulators via convoluted interplay of chemical subunits
(Dr. ArindamTalukdar)
Dr. ArindamTalukdar from CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, shared his research findings on the stimulation of agonism-antagonism in TLR7 modulators via complex interactions between chemical subunits. The TLR7 is an endosomal TLR protein that helps the body to recognize and respond to viruses and bacteria. He noted in his presentation that agonists and antagonists frequently have overlapping binding sites in their target molecules. Therefore, agonistic chemical scaffolds can be used as a template for designing antagonists. Starting from the agonistic purine scaffold, by rationally dissecting, they identified a singular ‘chemical switch’ at C-2 that could make a potent purine scaffold TLR7 agonist to lose agonism and acquire antagonist activity. He further mentioned the most unprecedented outcome of his study as the convoluted interplay of “chemical subunits”, to venture into the agonist-partial agonist-antagonist-agonist circle through sequential single-point change. He further proposed these new class of TLR7 modulators as promising precursor for therapeutic development.
The eminent speakers ignited the spark of scientific temperament in the participants of CTDDR-2025 with their vibrant talks filled with the latest information. The flooding of current information would be continued in further sessions which will dissipate the new energy and new direction for research and development among the participants sharing this platform from all around.
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