HYDERABAD, April 28: Research scholar Raja Adil Sarfraz in his final PhD seminar on “Anti-cancer drug design, an attempt for improvement” has said that cancer is a life threatening disease due to which thousands of people around the globe have lost their lives.

In his presentation about his research completed in centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry University of Sindh under the supervision of noted scientist Prof. Dr. Taseem Gul Kazi, the scholar said that cancer disease was actually outcome of unnecessary and uncontrolled growth of cells within various parts of body e.g. blood, breasts and lungs.

The scholar said that this extra growth occurs due to the cell division which begins from the DNA in the nucleus of cells, which can only be avoided by stopping the DNA replication and added that this was done by various compounds synthesised in the pharmaceutical laboratories known as anti-cancer drugs, which bind themselves with DNA, hence, blocking its further growth.

The scholar said that at present, a variety of such drugs are in medical use, including carbon based as well as organ-metallic drugs and added that they do serve the purpose by inhibiting the cancer proliferation, but are associated with a number of side effects, damage the healthy cells with effected cells, may also retard various enzymes activity and may be fit for one type of cancer while show inactivity towards the other type.

We have designed in our laboratories at National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, some amino acids complexes of a metal; osmium (II), avoiding the drawbacks and side effects of previously used drugs, but due to limited cancer research in Pakistan, could not bring them under trial at some suitable platform, the scholar said. He, however, said that we have offers from pioneers of cancer research from advanced countries like France, United Kingdom, USA and Australia, which would be availed according to their priority.

The scholar said synthesis and characterisation of transition metal - amino acids complexes worthy of anti-cancer character is underway in our laboratories, which may bring sufficient improvement in drugs hopefully.

Sindh University Vice Chancellor Mr Mazharul Haq Siddiqui who presided over the seminar, appreciated the research work done by the scholar and supervisor and expressed the hope that recent study would be helpful in medical sciences.

He said that research has direct relations to society and added that science scholars should focus their work to reduce pains of the society.

He congratulated the scholar for his excellent research work and expressed the hope that other scholars would also benefit in terms of further research.

A large number scholars and scientists, including Dr M. Iqbal Bhangar, Director of the centre, attended the presentation.

WRITTEN TEST: The Director Pakistan Study Centre University of Sindh Dr. Khalida Jamali, here on Monday, has announced that written test for the post of Lecturer of Pakistan Studies would be conducted on May, 8 at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMCS).