UPI Journal of Chemical and Life Sciences

COVID-19 Pandemic

2025-07-18T12:00:14-04:00

In December 2019, a mysterious outbreak of pneumonia emerged in Wuhan, China, with initial cases linked to a local seafood market. Subsequent investigations identified a novel coronavirus-later named SARS-CoV-2-through genomic analysis of respiratory samples cultured in human airway epithelial cells. The virus, distinguished by its crown-like protein spikes called peplomers, belongs to the beta-coronavirus group within the Sarbecovirus subgenus. This study explores various aspects of COVID-19, including its structure, mutation patterns, transmission mechanisms, methods of discovery, and the challenges it poses to global health in terms of morbidity, mortality, and public health preparedness.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Sector

2025-08-08T14:18:18-04:00

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in various fields, including pharmacy and healthcare. It enables intelligent modelling for knowledge representation, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI has played a crucial role in pharmacy, particularly in drug discovery, drug delivery formulation development, pharmacology, and hospital pharmacy. Advanced AI techniques, such as Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Deep Neural Networks (DNNs), and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), have been extensively applied in these domains. Notably, AI-driven approaches like Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR) and Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) have demonstrated significant potential in drug discovery, while de novo design facilitates the invention of novel drug molecules with optimal properties. AI is revolutionizing healthcare research and service delivery by enabling efficient data analysis, improving disease diagnosis, advancing digital therapeutics, and personalizing treatment strategies. With its ability to predict and forecast epidemics and pandemics, AI has been successfully applied to diseases such as seasonal influenza, Zika, Ebola, Tuberculosis, and COVID-19. Technologies like deep learning, Bayesian nonparametric models, natural language processing, and wearable devices contribute significantly to clinical trial design, patient identification, and real-time monitoring. The Indian pharmaceutical sector has emerged as a global leader in generic drug and vaccine production. However, challenges persist across various stages, from early research and development to market deployment.

A Review On Herbal Drug And Drug Interactions

2025-08-14T13:53:35-04:00

Herbal medicines are increasingly popular worldwide, with an estimated one third of adults in developed nations and over 80% of people in developing countries using them for health promotion and to manage conditions like colds, inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, and central nervous system disorders. Despite their popularity, the mechanisms of action of many herbal medicines remain largely unknown, and their efficacy and toxicity are often inadequately supported by evidence. There are more than 11,000 medicinal plant species, with around 500 commonly used in Asia and other regions. Drug interactions with herbal medicines pose significant safety risks, especially with drugs that have narrow therapeutic windows, such as warfarin and digoxin. Combining herbal remedies with pharmaceuticals can alter their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, leading to potentially severe adverse reactions. A review of the top-selling herbal medicines, including St. John’s wort, ginkgo, ginseng, garlic, echinacea, saw palmetto, and kava, identified interactions with several prescribed drugs. For example, St. John’s wort lowers blood concentrations of warfarin, while ginkgo increases bleeding risks with warfarin. Ginseng affects alcohol and warfarin levels, and garlic alters the pharmacokinetics of paracetamol and warfarin. It is essential for healthcare providers to be aware of these interactions to avoid serious clinical consequences.

A review on machine learning in pharmaceutical applications

2025-08-14T14:04:10-04:00

Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including data quality, regulatory considerations, ethical concerns, and the need for transparency and accountability. Regulatory bodies are developing frameworks to ensure the safety and efficacy of AI-driven drug development. Future advancements include multi-task learning, personalized medicine, and AI integration with robotics and automation, which promise to further streamline drug development. This review provides a balanced perspective on AI/ML in pharmaceuticals, discussing key concepts, case studies, and emerging trends.

Metabolic dysfunctions associated with stetotic liver disease

2025-08-14T14:08:08-04:00

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Stetotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is a significant cause of chronic liver disease, affecting 30% of the global population, and can progress to severe conditions like fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Traditional treatments are limited, so a more integrated approach is necessary. Early identification and modification of risk factors are crucial for preventing complications. MASLD is a major public health concern, causing liver-related morbidity and mortality. A clear assessment and referral pathway is needed for managing severe cases, with lifestyle interventions and cardiovascular risk management being key components. While no specific medication is approved, novel antihyperglycemic drugs show promise. Management should also address liver disease progression, sarcopenia, and adjustments to medications for diabetes and metabolic conditions. The term MASLD replaced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in 2023 to highlight the disease's connection to metabolic dysfunction. Altered metabolic function can lead to both cardiovascular and liver diseases. Traditional treatment approaches have focused on individual organs, resulting in siloed care. However, because metabolic dysfunction affects the entire body, a more integrated approach involving multiple medical specialists is needed to improve patient outcomes. It suggests that addressing the underlying disease process, rather than solely targeting the cardiovascular or liver-specific issues could be more effective.

Medicines of Two Worlds: A Scientific Lens Herbal and Modern Therapies

2025-08-01T15:07:37-04:00

The dichotomy between herbal medicine and modern pharmaceutical therapies reflects both a historical continuum and a scientific divergence. Herbal remedies, rooted in traditional systems such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and Unani, rely on plant-based formulations known for their multi-targeted and holistic effects. In contrast, modern drugs are characterized by synthetic origin, molecular precision, and regulatory rigor. This review explores the integration of these two therapeutic paradigms, emphasizing the mechanistic differences, clinical applications, safety profiles, and emerging formulation technologies. Traditional herbal medicine often exhibits synergistic activity via multiple phytoconstituents acting on varied biological pathways. Modern drug development, on the other hand, emphasizes single-compound, receptor-targeted mechanisms. Advances in phytochemistry and analytical techniques have enabled the standardization and scientific validation of many herbal medicines. However, safety concerns, quality control challenges, and herb–drug interactions necessitate cautious integration into modern healthcare systems.The review also highlights progress in nanotechnology and computational modeling, which enhance the bioavailability and predictability of herbal formulations. Global health authorities, including the WHO, advocate for integrative frameworks that combine the benefits of traditional and modern approaches. This integrative model promises improved therapeutic efficacy, lower toxicity, and personalized treatment regimens.

Automation in pharmacovigilance-a review

2025-09-05T06:29:33-04:00

The pharmacovigilance (PV) function is undergoing a rapid transformation as automated technologies—ranging from robotic process automation (RPA) and natural language processing (NLP) to machine learning (ML) and large language models (LLMs)—are adopted across the safety lifecycle. Drivers include rising case volumes, expanding real-world data (RWD) sources, evolving global data standards, and increasing regulatory expectations for quality, timeliness, and traceability. This review synthesizes how automation is reshaping case intake and processing, coding and deduplication, literature surveillance, signal detection and evaluation, and regulatory reporting. It also outlines governance and validation practices for compliant deployment, and highlights emerging opportunities and limitations.

Viruses as cancer therapeutics: mechanisms of oncolytic virotherapy and key clinical platforms

2025-10-11T23:59:06-04:00

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are emerging immunotherapeutic agents that selectively infect and destroy cancer cells while simultaneously stimulating anti-tumor immunity. This review examines how oncolytic virotherapy works at a mechanistic level and provides an overview of the leading OV platforms in clinical development. Virus-mediated lysis of tumor cells not only debulks tumors directly but also generates an in situ cancer vaccine effect by releasing tumor antigens and danger signals that activate the immune system. We discuss the biological and immunologic rationale behind this dual action, including the induction of immunogenic cell death and the conversion of "cold" tumors into "hot" immunologically active ones. Key molecular features of major oncolytic viruses – such as herpes simplex virus type 1–based Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), oncolytic adenoviruses, reovirus, coxsackievirus (CVA21), and vaccinia virus – are reviewed, highlighting how genetic engineering (e.g., insertion of immune stimulatory genes) enhances their therapeutic impact. Early clinical results, including the first FDA-approved OV (T-VEC) in melanoma, demonstrate the promise of virotherapy. Combination approaches with immune checkpoint inhibitors are also introduced as a strategy to amplify anti-tumor responses. In summary, oncolytic virotherapy represents a novel modality at the intersection of virology and immuno-oncology. This article provides a comprehensive overview of OV mechanisms and platforms, underscoring the rationale for their use and their potential to broaden the horizons of cancer immunotherapy.