Patiala researchers uncover key solution for enhancing chemotherapy

In a significant advancement in cancer treatment, researchers from Punjabi University have uncovered key solutions to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy while addressing obstacles that reduce its impact.

Published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, the research, led by ICMR Senior Research Fellow Gera Narinder of Punjabi University, focuses on chemo-resistance associated with drug-metabolising enzymes (DMEs). The study was conducted under the guidance of Prof Om Silakari from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research.

Gera Narinder, now a Project Scientist at the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, explored the role of Phase-1 and Phase-2 DMEs, which inactivate anti-cancer drugs, thereby reducing their effectiveness and contributing to drug resistance. Prof Silakari explained that overcoming this chemo-resistance is crucial, as it continues to be a global challenge, leading to poor survival rates among cancer patients. The breakthrough research has led to the development of novel molecules targeting DMEs, with the potential to improve survival rates for cancer patients struggling with drug resistance due to DME overexpression in cancer cells. —TNS