ADVANCES IN DRUG DESIGN: A REVIEW OF RECENT TRENDS, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE SCOPE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjmhs.v4i2.153Keywords:
drug design, ligand-based drug molecular design, biological target, Computational Aided Drug Design (CADD)Abstract
Drug design, or ligand-based drug molecular design of new molecules to interact with a biological target for effective regulation of its activity has been an indispensable and ever-evolving discipline in pharmaceutical research. The addition of newer technologies like Computational Aided Drug Design (CADD) has enriched this process by using computational tools to screen and refine drug candidates, hence empowering for an easy parallel implementation which ultimately shortens the timeline and financial involvement in designing drugs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its subset Machine Learning (ML), have become increasingly prominent in recent years to facilitate better virtual screening, molecular docking, and predictive modeling which are crucial for the detection of novel therapies especially regarding the diseases with complex etiology like cancer. Nanotechnology-assisted targeted drug delivery systems have been successfully applied to the field, enabling site-specific release of drugs and reducing their side effects while improving therapeutic efficacy. Likewise, the advent of biologics, biosimilars and multitarget drug design has brought new directions to tackle diseases that have evolved from their relatively simple causative pathways. Nonetheless, the need to overcome drug resistance, with its accompanying toxicity and computational challenges remains a major hurdle. In short, the future of drug design is expected to be increasingly influenced through AI enabled platforms that will combine with our understanding from personalized medicines and nanotechnology. Such innovations are projected to realize more functional and specific treatments. On the other hand, AI-driven methods are likely to enhance accuracy in drug discovery, and nanotechnology-based delivery systems will give way to a number of new therapeutic opportunities. Maturing, these technologies are bound to make impactful changes in the development of safer, more efficient, and personalised healthcare solutions.
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