Evolution of modern age drug discovery of lipopeptides and computer-aided drug discovery in India

The endeavor has been attempted to present a review on the evolution of modern age drug discovery in India. The contribution of next generation therapeutics options microbial metabolites and the computational drug discovery aspects to the global market from India have been represented. Microbial metabolites such as lipopeptides and peptide therapeutics are gaining worldwide importance due to their multiple applications as broad-spectrum antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer properties etc. Due to the surge of microbial resistance, tumor resistance, and ongoing pandemic due to constantly mutating corona virus, there is a need to develop next-generation therapeutics options from natural origin, less toxic to the environment, and have higher specificity towards target. Small molecule therapeutics are certainly less specific towards cancer targets hence the cytotoxicity is a major issue in cancer treatment while drug resistance due to the mutations are coming as challenges every day for drug discovery researchers. Microbial lipopeptide reserves a sweet spot in between the small molecule inhibitors and peptide therapeutics because of their amphiphilic compounds consist of a fatty acid side chain and a cyclic peptide moiety of hydrophilic nature. The computational drug discovery approach accelerates the drug discovery process due to the advancement in supercomputer facilities provided by various funding agencies such as the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in India. The current review article is focusing light on the research contribution of Indian Scientists and Govt. of India in the field of lipopeptide-based research and applications of Computer-aided drug discovery.

Radical resection of giant ameloblastoma mandible with free fibula reconstruction: a case report and review of literature

The ameloblastoma is a rare odontogenic tumor of the oral cavity. It is slow growing, locally invasive benign tumor affecting mandible more than maxilla mostly in age group 30-60 years. It grows in bone and soft tissue causing facial disfigurement. Treatment is surgical taking wide margins. This case report describes the treatment of a 30-year-old female having right side jaw swelling since two years, fine needle aspiration cytology was suggestive of ameloblastoma. Right hemi mandibulectomy was done by head and neck surgery team and reconstruction was done by plastic surgery team using free fibula flap. The free fibula osteocutaneous flap is the most versatile and reliable option for microsurgical reconstruction of large mandibular defects.