Assistant Professor Dr. Ayad Abd Ali, a faculty member in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, together with a research team from the United States of America, has obtained a patent entitled: “Imidazole-Based Anti-Cancer Agents, Their Derivatives, Methods of Preparation, and Uses.”
The invention is based on the development of new drug compounds derived from the imidazole ring, which act as inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes—enzymes that play a key role in the growth and survival of cancer cells.
The patent explains that HDAC inhibitors represent a promising strategy in cancer therapy, as they can influence vital cellular processes such as gene transcription regulation, cell growth and division, survival control, and enhancement of tumor-suppressor protein activity.
The researchers further indicate that the overactivity of HDAC enzymes is associated with the emergence of various cancers. Therefore, targeting these enzymes with novel and more effective compounds is considered an important step toward developing treatments with reduced drug resistance.
