Located in Campinas (SP), at the National Center for Energy and Materials Research (CNPEM) - a civil society organization that receives federal resources -, Sirius (particle accelerator) will be used to help in puzzles whose resolution will enable the development of medicines with active ingredients discovered in the Brazilian biodiversity. To this end, the Brazilian Biodiversity Molecular Power House (MPH) project - baptized in English to facilitate its global insertion - is dedicated to unraveling and analyzing the structure of natural molecules in plants, herbs, etc. from various regions of the country. As a source for the so-called “synchrotron light”, which allows us to see at-scale substances (see details in the side illustration), Sirius will align itself with the most advanced equipment of its kind on the planet - only Sweden today has something similar. .
In order to pursue research that may lead to the production of truly effective remedies against unhealed diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, MPH will work with partnerships, such as the one it has signed with the national company Phytobios, which is in charge of regular expeditions. bioprospecting to four Brazilian biomes: Amazon, Cerrado, Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. Annually, between three and five trips are made to collect material. The enterprise's library of samples already has more than 600 species - and the tendency is to increase. Brazil, the most biodiverse nation in the world, is the living laboratory with the greatest potential to emerge in this area. According to Cristina Ropke, CEO of Phytobios, opting for sustainable business is a strategic way to value the forest. “By extracting natural resources in a controlled and responsible manner, we can value nature without deforesting. Instead of felling to create pastures, let's manage to find drugs, ”she says.
The Aché national pharmaceutical laboratory was the first to bet on the results of the project illuminated by Sirius - still in 2017 he signed a contract for the development of two drugs. With an initial investment of 10 million reais, the group hopes to find positive results for cancer treatments and skin problems (in this case, with the production of a drug or even a cosmetic). Until a new product hits the market, which is expected to take place in thirteen years, the investment could reach $ 200 million. According to Aché's director of innovation and new business, Stephani Saverio, there are few drugs that are genuinely based on the country's native raw materials - a scenario that could be significantly transformed from Sirius research. Among the substances already used by the pharmaceutical industry is tubocurarine, a poisonous alkaloid that is the main constituent of curare, used by South American Indians in hunting arrows, and has muscle-relaxing properties. Another Brazilian finding was bradykinin peptide, isolated from jararaca venom, important for hypertension therapy. Pilocarpine, found in jaborandi and used to treat glaucoma and xerostomia, an adverse effect of dry mouth caused by radiotherapy in cancer patients, could also be mentioned.
For now, MPH has been conducting its research at the National Synchrotron Light Laboratory within CNPEM using a pre-Sirius accelerator version called UVX, which has been in operation for over twenty years. One of the differences between the two generations of these equipments is the quality in the resolution of the obtained images. With a brighter and more powerful brightness, Sirius will allow you to see, faster, details that the UVX has no power to decode.
In addition to its use in drug development, Sirius will be employed, according to CNPEM Director-General Antonio José Roque da Silva, in areas as distinct as oil exploration and paleontology. “We have the best instrument. To use it properly, we need a strong investment in science and technology as a government policy. Without the training of established scientists and universities, we will not have the very high level research that will make good use of Sirius, ”emphasized Roque da Silva. No country moves forward when it closes its eyes to the scientific sky
Source of information: http://abiquifi.org.br/noticias/remedios-da-floresta