Selenium is a vital trace element that plays a crucial role in our health, influencing various biochemical pathways due to its antioxidant properties. In nature, it often finds its way to our plates through foods like tuna, enriching our bodies with its antioxidant prowess.

The intricate relationship between Selenium and antioxidant properties has been extensively studied by researchers in the field, including Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at SBASSE, who is one of the contributors to a paper on Selenium derivatives. The paper was published after Dr. Rahman’s DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) scholarship visit to Germany in 2019 in collaboration with eleven international researchers, including Dr Rama Alhasan, Dr. Guilherme M. Martins, Dr. Pedro P. de Castro, Dr. Claus Jacob.  

Selenium, acting as an antioxidant powerhouse, takes center stage in this study. Nature carries very few selenium containing organic compounds, Selenoneine being one of those. In this work, the team has worked on the preparation of novel organoselenium compounds. The research zeroes in on Selenohydantoin derivatives, synthetic compounds inspired by Selenoneine. These derivatives, with their fascinating range of pharmacological applications, hold the potential to serve not just as antioxidants but as versatile agents with capabilities spanning anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiplatelet realms. Through Selenocysteine enzymes like Glutathione Peroxidase, it acts as a powerful defender, effectively reducing peroxides to explore their potential in combating oxidative stress, a state where an imbalance occurs between the production of free radicals and the body's ability to neutralize them.

Using a unique synthetic method, the researchers synthesized Selenohydantoin molecules, paving the way for a comprehensive evaluation of their antioxidant capabilities. The study employed classical radical scavenging and metal-reducing techniques to unravel the true potential of these synthetic compounds. Cytocompatibility assays demonstrated that the Selenohydantoin derivatives were not only effective antioxidants but also non-toxic to primary human aortic smooth muscle cells. Cytocompatibility refers to the compatibility of a substance with living cells, ensuring that these compounds do not harm or disrupt normal cell function, a promising aspect for further biological evaluations.

Among the synthesized compounds, those adorned with trifluoro-methyl (-CF3) and chlorine (-Cl) substituents emerged as molecules displaying noteworthy antioxidant activities. Dr. Rahman's work highlights these compounds as potential candidates for future biological studies, offering hope for innovative therapies against chronic diseases. This research focuses not only on synthetic compounds but also on the broader context of organoselenium compounds in living organisms. Looking into the future a larger picture emerges - synthesis of Selenium-based compounds could play a crucial role in developing novel and effective prevention and treatments for diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cystic fibrosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Rahman has recently been honored with another DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) scholarship grant by the German Academic Exchange Service. Through the scholarship Dr. Rahman and his research team will delve into the study of various signaling proteins and kinases, with a particular focus on the innovative molecule known as Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs). To learn more about Dr. Saleem's cutting-edge research and the potential impact of PROTACs on cancer treatment, follow this link.

“We sympathise with all the families who have suffered the loss of a child,” expressed a spokesperson from Sanofi Pasteur, the French multinational pharmaceutical company, upon the deaths of school-age children in the Philippines after being administered Sanofi’s dengue virus vaccine, Dengvaxia. Notably, no deaths had been reported during more than a decade-long clinical trials of the world’s first dengue vaccine. However, in November 2017, Sanofi disclosed that Dengvaxia “might increase the risk of severe disease in people who had never been exposed to the virus. 

Despite extensive efforts, current dengue prevention strategies, including vaccinations, have significant limitations, leaving no specific treatment for dengue fever. This vector-borne disease, primarily affecting Asia, is transmitted by infected mosquitoes (vectors) that carry and transmit the dengue virus from person to person, causing severe fever.

Could undercounted infections explain the lack of attention to dengue’s severity?
A 2013 study published in Nature estimated the true total of infections to be more than three times the estimate of the World Health Organisation. 
The traditional approach of developing new drugs from scratch can be both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, researchers at SBASSE (Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering) have pursued an alternative strategy known as drug repurposing. This approach involves identifying existing drugs that might be effective against diseases different from their original intended use. In this study, led by Hafiza Nosheen Saleem under the supervision of Dr Muhammad Saeed, a library of 1127 small molecules, initially designed as antivirus drugs, were screened to determine their potential efficacy against the dengue virus.
Nosheen and Dr Saeed, alongside their collaborators Summara Kousar, Ammar Hassan Jiskani, Iqra Sohail and Dr Amir Faisal, focused their efforts on a specific protein within the dengue virus known as DENV NS2B/NS3 protease. This protein plays a crucial role in the virus's life cycle, and inhibiting it could disrupt the virus's ability to replicate. Four molecules in the screen library, ABT263, ABT737, AT101 and TW37, demonstrated promise as inhibitors of the NS2B/NS3 protease. These molecules were initially developed as inhibitors for B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), a member of the protein family. Notoriously associated with the survival of certain types of cancer cells, Bcl-2 plays a key role in aiding cancer cells to withstand chemotherapy. For instance, ABT263 is currently being tested for the treatment of high-grade triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer.  

To assess the effectiveness of these molecules in inhibiting the NS2B/NS3 protease, the researchers employed a metric called IC50, representing the "half-maximal inhibitory concentration." This metric gauges how effectively a molecule can inhibit the protease. Further analysis of these molecules' inhibition mechanisms revealed that ABT263 and ABT737 competitively inhibited the protease by binding to the same site as the target substrate. In contrast, AT101 and TW37 were identified as non-competitive inhibitors, binding to a different site and inducing changes in the enzyme's structure or activity.

The study suggests that the identified inhibitors have the potential to be developed into specific anti-dengue therapeutics. This is a promising avenue for further research and development, as these molecules have already undergone testing for their safety and pharmacological properties as anticancer drugs. With the aim of preventing tragic incidents like the loss of school-age children to dengue in the Philippines, this research provides hope for improved treatments and enhanced protection against this mosquito-borne disease. 

It goes without saying that the modern era is surely a scientific era. With recent advancements in the field of research, diseases once considered “incurable” diseases are no longer a matter of distress for the 21st-century individuals, thanks to the incredible scientists and their valuable research. Considering the pace at which researchers are discovering cures for the most dreadful diseases, it is not impractical to think of the myth of a “panacea” may soon become a reality. However, certain widely prevalent diseases such as Alzheimer (AD) and Dementia, that unfortunately have no known cure and remain areas of intensive research globally. 

The scientifically motivated students of LUMS are also keeping pace with the world by exhibiting strong commitment and actively contributing towards research in this field. One such example is our bright PhD Chemistry scholar, Kainat Ahmed, who has recently successfully defended her PhD proposal. Kainat’s insightful research in the area of potent heteroaromatic hydrazone-based 1,2,4-triazine motifs development to treat Alzheimer Disease, has been published in the renowned “Journal of Molecular Structure” by Elsevier.

1,2,4-Triazine based hydrazone scaffolds are organic compounds that were synthesized after a series of complex chemical reactions using heteroaromatic aldehydes. Heteroatomic aldehydes are a class of organic compounds that contain at least one heteroatom, such as oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), or sulfur (S), in addition to a carbonyl group (-C=O) and a hydrogen atom (-H) attached to the same carbon atom. The synthesized hydrazone are biologically active compounds that have shown promising results in combating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Apart from having a unique chemical structure, these motifs are also found to possess strong antioxidant activity and cholinesterase inhibition properties, which make them suitable for curing Alzheimer’s disease. 
 

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition characterized by progressive decline in cognitive function, memory loss and behavioral changes. One of the key neurotransmitters affected in Alzheimer's disease is acetylcholine, which plays an important role in memory and learning.  Cholinesterase inhibitors are a class of drugs that are commonly used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. These drugs work by inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, thereby increasing its levels in the brain. By increasing acetylcholine levels, cholinesterase inhibitors can help to improve cognitive function and slow down the progression of the disease. Two types of cholinesterase enzymes targeted by cholinesterase inhibitors are acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE).

Therefore, a radical approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease could involve the AChE and BChE enzymes, which play a crucial role in restoring an which progressively restore the concentration of acetylcholine. Previous research in this area yielded interesting results, where heterocyclic motifs in the form of potent free radical scavengers proved to be effective inhibitors for different enzymes, such as cholinesterase. Kainat along with her co-researchers synthesized new conjugates of 1,2,4-triazine and heteroaromatic aldehydes bridged with hydrazone skeleton, which showed effective activity as potent free radical scavengers and strong inhibitors of cholinesterases that cause Alzheimer’s disease.“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody else has thought.”-Albert Szent-Gyorgyi.

An innovative research technique employed by Kainat and co-researchers involved the utilization of quantum chemical and molecular docking studies to gain deeper insights into the mode of action of these motifs. These methods allowed them to explore the compounds’ electronic and structural properties, as well as their potential interactions with biological targets such as enzymes or receptors. The study’s results unveiled significant findings regarding the structure-activity relationships of the compounds. Specifically, the researchers identified crucial structural features that facilitated their interaction with cholinesterase enzymes and the scavenge reactive oxygen species. The development of these compounds represents an exciting advancement in the field of medicinal chemistry.

The publication of this article in a prestigious scientific journal and the defense of her PhD proposal is proof of Ms. Kainat’s dedication and commitment to her work. We extend our congratulations and wish her continued success in her endeavors. 

جنوری ۲۰۲۳ میں بین الاقوامی جریدے "امریکن کیمیکل سوسائٹی "(1) میں  لمز شعبۂ کیمیا اور کیمیکل انجنئیرنگ سے تعلق رکھنے  والے ڈاکٹر فہیم حسن اختر کے طالب علم محمد حفی وڈگاما اور سجاد حسین کا ایک تحقیقی مقالہ شائع ہوا۔ اس تحقیق کے مطابق "پولی (ایتھلین ٹیریفتھلیٹ) "(2) کو اختراعی عمل(3) سے گزار کر ایسی جھلیاں تیار کی جا سکتی ہیں جو نمکین پانی سے اضافی معدنیات علیحدہ کر کے اسے پینے اور زراعت کے لیے قابلِ استعمال بنا نے میں معاونت فراہم  کرتی ہیں۔

بلاشبہ پانی، بقائے حیات کا بنیادی رکن اور زندگی کی روانی کا ضامن ہے لیکن موجودہ صورتِ حال کے مطابق دنیا کی ایک تہائی  آبادی کو پانی کی قلت کا سامنا ہے جبکہ سن ۲۰۵۰ء تک یہ مشکل دنیا کی آدھی آبادی کو درپیش ہو سکتی ہے۔ آبادی میں غیر متوقع اضافہ، تیزی سے بڑھتی صنعتیں اور ماحولیاتی تبدیلیاں صاف پانی کی عدم دستیابی کی اہم وجوہات ہیں۔

اس مشکل سے نمٹنے کا ایک طریقہ یہ ہے کہ نمکین پانی کو نمک ربائی(4) کے عمل سے گزار کر میٹھے پانی کے ذخائر میں اضافہ کیا جائے۔ اس مقصد کے لیے ڈاکٹر فہیم حسن اختر ،محمد حفی اور انکی ٹیم نے پولی (ایتھلین ٹیریفتھلیٹ) کا استعمال کیا۔ یہ ایتھلین کا ایک مرکب ہے جو پلاسٹک فلم کی شکل میں ہوتا ہے اور عموماً پیکنگ  کے لیے استعمال ہوتا ہے۔ ستم ظریفی یہ ہے کہ بیشتر اوقات پہلی ہی مر تبہ مختصر استعمال کے بعد یہ پلاسٹک اہم ترین قدرتی نظام، جیسے دریا اور سمندر، میں پھینک دیا جاتا ہے جو یقینی طور پرقدرتی  غذائی سلسلے کے لیے نقصان دہ ہے۔ 

بلا شبہ پلاسٹک، ماحول دشمن فطرت کا حامل اور زمینی و آبی  آلودگی کا باعث ہے۔ تاہم اس کے متبادل مادے، جیسے کاغذ اور شیشہ، فضائی آلودگی کا سبب بنتے ہیں۔ لہٰذا بہتر نقطۂ نظر یہ ہے کہ پلاسٹک کے فوائد بھی حاصل کیے جائیں اور ماحول پر اس کی غیر مناسب تقویض سے پیدا ہونے والے منفی اثرات کو بھی کم کیا جائے۔

اس ضمن میں محمد حفی کے تجربات پلاسٹک کو  اختراعی عمل سے گزار کر دوبارہ قابلِ استعمال بناتے ہیں۔  ضائع شدہ بوتلوں کے پلاسٹک سے  جھلیاں تیار کرنے کے  اس تحقیقی عمل میں  غیر محلل  کے ذریعے   مرحلہ وار علیحدگی کے طریقہ کار کو اپنایا گیا ہے۔ ٹرائے فلوروایسیٹک ایسڈ(5) کو بحیثیت محلل اور 25 ڈگری پر پانی سے غسلِ انجماد کو غیر محلل کے طور پر استعمال کیا گیا۔  فوریئر  ٹرانسفارم(6)، حرارتی  ثقلی تجزیہ کاری(7) اور الیکٹرون خورد بین(8)  کی مدد سے ان جھلیوں کی درجہ بندی کی گئی۔ پھر  بہترین جھلی کا تعین کرنے کے لیے  ان   تیار کردہ  جھلیوں کی سرایت پذیری(9) اور بہاؤ (10)کا   مختلف موٹائی ، کثیر سالمی مرکب کی کثافت (11) اور بخارات بننے کے وقت (12) کی بنیاد پر  تجزیہ کیا گیا۔  

 نتیجتا ًان جھلیوں میں  ٪33 تک  ازالہ نمک کی صلاحیت پیدا ہو جاتی ہے ۔  یہ عمل موجودہ تحقیقات کے مقابلے میں نہ صرف کم توانائی استعمال کرتا ہے بلکہ نقصان دہ کاربن کے کم اخراج کا ذریعہ بھی ثابت ہوا ہے۔ محمد حفی کی تحقیق کے نتائج کی روشنی میں  مستقبل میں پلاسٹک کے دوسرے مرکبات اور ریشوں کو دوبارہ کارآمد بنانے کے لیے بھی  جانچا جا سکتا ہے۔  مزید برآں یہ تحقیق استعمال شدہ پلاسٹک کے دوبارہ استعمال کے باعث ماحولیاتی آلودگی میں کمی کا جائزہ لینے کے لیے نقطہ آغاز  فراہم کر تی ہے۔

جدید علوم کے حصول و ترویج کے ساتھ ساتھ  لمز سکول آف سائنس اینڈ انجینئرنگ کا ایک اہم مقصد  انسا ن اور اس سے وابستہ ماحول کو درپیش حقیقی مسائل کاحل تلاش کرنا ہے۔ ڈاکٹر فہیم حسن اختر کے زیر سایہ شعبۂ کیمیا ور کیمیکل انجنئیرنگ کی یہ تحقیق، اسی سلسلے کی ایک کڑی ہے جو نہ صرف پلاسٹک کے فضلات کو کار آمد بنانے کا موثر ذریعہ ہے بلکہ پانی سے نمک ربائی کی مارکیٹ کو بھی جلا بخشتی ہے۔

  بی -ایس کیمیکل انجینئرنگ کے طالبِ علم محمد حفی کی یہ کامیابی ان کے چار سالہ ڈگری پروگرام کی ریاضت اور  آخری سال میں کی جانے والی تحقیقی کاوشوں کا ثمر ہے ۔ محمد حفی  کو  اپنا علمی سفر  جاری رکھنے کے لیے امریکہ کی تین اعلیٰ جامعات بشمول پین سٹیٹ یونیورسٹی (13) ، آبرن یونیورسٹی (14) ، آلاباما یونیورسٹی (15) سے مکمل وظیفے کے ساتھ پی-ایچ-ڈی کی پیشکش موصول ہونا ،لمز کے اعلیٰ تعلیمی  معیار اور محمد  حفی کی شاندار  کارکردگی کی روشن دلیل ہے 
 

1.  American Chemical Society (ACS)
2. Poly (Ethylene Terephthalate) (PET)
3. Innovative process
4. Desalination
5. Trifluoroacetic acid
6. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
7. Thermal Gravimetrical Analysis (TGA)
8. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
9. Permeance
10. Flux
11. Polymer concentration
12. Evaporation time
13. Penn State University
14. Auburn University
15. Alabama University