Design, synthesis, and development of small molecule targeted bioconjugates and inhibitors for diagnosis and therapy of cancer

Abstract

Cancer is one of the primary causes of death, with 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths reported in the year 2022 globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicted over 35 million new cancer cases to be reported in the year 2035, estimating an increase of 77% from 2022. Among all cancers, prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 1.46 million new cases and 3.96 lakh deaths worldwide, thus being the second most diagnosed cancer in men. The increase in the number of cases of prostate cancer is mainly due to a lack of diagnostic facilities to detect cancer in the early stages. The conventional diagnostic approaches, like digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in serum, cause physical discomfort and generate false positives, making them less reliable. The non-invasive methods, such as ultrasound, X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT), also have disadvantages as they provide only anatomical details, less spatial and contrast resolutions, and fail to differentiate tumours from healthy tissues due to limited sensitivity and specificity. Advancements in imaging modalities and molecular targeting strategies for early diagnostic and intraoperative surgeries are crucial for precise therapy, thereby eliminating the off-target cytotoxicity and improving clinical efficacy.