Research Projects

Prehistorical cancer disease remains a burden for modern society. It remains a challenging puzzle in the modern healthcare system. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical resection are widely used against cancer for relieving it. However, the activity of those against cancer is still hindered due to undesired cytotoxicity to neighboring normal cells and tissues. Therefore, a remedy is always in search that can offer a new protocol to gain maximum clinical benefit within a short time with minimal side effects. one such type of attractive strategy in prognostic assessment is theranostic -modern technology can serve both as a diagnosis and therapy. Usually, cancers are of various types with heterogeneity, making them resistant to chemotherapy. Thus, it is to be believed that multi-parametric drugs/prodrugs could be an ideal solution to suppress cancer growth. The mitochondria are the home of ATP energy. The ATP energy is propagated manyfold in cancer cells. On the other hand, this DNA-containing organelle participates in the apoptotic pathway of cell death via releasing of cytochrome C. Thus, disrupting the function of mitochondria selectively in cancer cells could be the ideal strategy to fight against cancer. In this context, a series of new molecules will be developed that will selectively enter cancer cells and subsequently be activated in cancer cells upon encountering overexpressed unusual entities/various prognostic factors. The developing protonophore (pKa 4.5) can reduce ATP synthesis by disrupting inner mitochondrial membrane potential (MEM); in addition to that, its self-aggregation may produce ROS via NIR light-induced hyperthermia. Indeed, photoacoustic/ NIR imaging allows us to read out the activity of the multi-gated therapeutics in vivo to provide summarized preclinical information.