Analysis and design of drugs
One of the priority tasks of chemistry and related sciences is to improve the methods of design, synthesis and analysis of biologically active substances, with particular emphasis on substances with a therapeutic effect. The research carried out under the sub-area "Analysis and design of drugs" fits perfectly into this field, the evolution of which we have been observing in recent years.
The main subjects of research carried out by teams from the Silesian University of Technology are biologically active compounds with potential anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial and immunosuppressive effects. Research tasks concern the design, synthesis and modification of new molecular hybrids with enhanced biological activity. One of the main goals is to design and synthesize new compounds capable to interact with cancer cells, and in addition to monitor these interactions with the use of markers and molecular imaging.
The conducted research also assumes optimization and application of sensitive and selective bioanalytical methods in monitored therapy (proteomics, metabolomics, metabonomics). In addition, scientists from the Silesian University of Technology are involved in research on the development of new, multifunctional biomaterials based on polymers used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, such as targeted drug delivery systems, for stabilizing therapeutic proteins, and as neural interfaces.
Another issue that fits in this area is modeling the behavior of biomolecules, e.g. proteins involved in the tumor activity of cells, as well as the analysis of molecular aspects of cell receptor regulation, taking into account the role of water molecules as a potential mediator in protein-ligand and protein-protein interactions.
