Dr. Mayank Singh: Discovering Next Generation Dendrimer Technology For COVID-19

This is the thirteenth part of the series called “Scientist Says”, where we bring for our readers the significant research works of young scientists.

Dr. Mayank is currently working as a Scientist at The National Dendrimer and Nanotechnology Center located at the NanoSynthons site in Mount Pleasant, Michigan in the United States of America. He is an inventor of new dendrimer nano-assemblies and is especially recognized for his scientific credentials with extraordinary ability and achievements by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

He shares his significant research works with Rashida Bakait of India Tomorrow. Here are the excerpts of the interview. 

Q.   Please briefly explain your research.

Ans. I am basically a pharmacist by training and working in exploring dendrimers (hyperbranched nanomaterial) as a drug delivery system. I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Pharmacy (M. Pharm) from Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, and began my early research carrier in the year 2010 for a master’s dissertation in association with Prof. Sanjay K. Jain and Prof. Abhay S. Chauhan. Our plan was to explore the potential of dendrimers for multiple drug delivery and reported the findings in the European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences-Elsevier.

Further, to explore dendrimer technology, I decided to pursue a doctorate and joined CSIR-   Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad as a Senior Research Fellow. I again approached Prof. Abhay Chauhan (Medical College of Wisconsin, U.S.A.) and convinced him to become my official advisor for my Ph.D. Program. We were successful in carrying out the revolutionary work for establishing dendrimer nano-assemblies as a novel multifunctional platform for drug delivery. Finally, I was awarded Ph.D. in the area of Pharmaceutical Science & Technology from the Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi.   

I was equally associated with Drugs Control Administration & Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, Government of Telangana to work with pharmaceutical industries and academia on corporate social responsibility for harmonious and sustainable development of society through Research & Development at CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad.

I have simultaneously earned credentials related to Intellectual Property Rights & Patents Law, from NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. 

 Q.   What was the aim behind your research?

Ans. The major aim for my M. Pharm research was the development and evaluation of dendrimer technology-based drug delivery systems for multiple drugs.

However, the main objective of my Ph.D. was the development and evaluation of dendrimer-mediated multifunctional brain targeting nanodevices, as a next-generation dendritic platform for drug delivery.

Q. What were the new findings of your research?

Ans. The first time, we reported combination therapy, in-situ, and multiple ligand technology with dendrimer nano-assemblies. Moreover, the dendrimer nano-assembly concept helped to simplify complex chemistry steps to prepare a sophisticated dendrimer nanodevice with various ligands, imaging agents, and drug molecules for brain targeting. In brief, dendrimer nano-assemblies can be seen as ‘click’ engineering within a dendritic platform. This click-chemistry of dendrimer technology provides a multifunctional smart platform compared to existing multiple (step-by-step) conjugation schemes.

Q. What kind of challenges did you face?

Ans. I would say, research is an extensive process, and always appears to me like “So much to do and so little is done “. One must be self-motivated and have a deep passion in the respective research areas.

Performance evaluation of dendrimer nano-assemblies for brain targeting in pre-clinical studies (animal models) was a big challenge and was difficult to convince my colleagues and scientific community with the unbelievable findings.

Q. Any scholarships or awards for research?

  Ans. I received various prestigious fellowships and awards which are summarized below:

·        Senior Research Fellowship (Extramural Scheme) by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-New Delhi, India

·        Institution of Eminence (IoE)-Postdoctoral Fellowship by Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bangalore, India

·        Fellow by Indian Chemical Society (ICS)-Kolkata, India

·        Registered Scientist by Royal Society of Chemistry & Science Council-London

·        Pharmaceutical Scientist by Royal Pharmaceutical Society & National Pharmacy Board-England

Q. How do you think your research would be beneficial to the industry or society?

Ans. Overall, the future appears extremely promising for the dendrimer-based nanomedicine to be utilized via most of the routes including oral, intravenous, transdermal, ocular, and intranasal along with the possibility of active or passive targeting of drugs that require multiple and long-term treatments for cancer, leukemia, and tuberculosis. The nano-assembly concept of dendrimers will help to fine-tune dendrimer architecture to prepare an advanced nanodevice and multifunctional excipient for therapeutic applications.

Q. When did you start and complete your research?

Ans. I initiated my research in pursuit of my Master’s degree between 2010-2012. However, I began my Ph.D. in August 2015 and submitted my thesis in September 2019, and finally, the degree was awarded in February 2020. It was made possible with the support of my family members and under the guidance of unselfish mentors -P.V. Diwan, P. L. Sahu, B. D. Kumar, David Hedstrand, Linda Nixon, Janet Tomalia, Tanuja Punj, and Vinay Singh.

Q. Any new research you are working on now?

Ans. Presently, I am specifically involved in the: (a) development and evaluation of a rapid, point-of-care COVID-19 dendrimer-based, diagnostic kit for the rapid detection of the Coronavirus with high sensitivity/low error rate and (b) the accelerated development of an identified low cost, anti-viral agent especially effective against COVID-19, based on dendritic, hyperbranched polymers.

Q. How do you think your research can be carried forward further?

Ans. As we are very much aware that the research is a nonstop process that provides a   new platform for beginners and others to explore their ideas for better mankind.   

My passion for dendrimers has nurtured a new concept for exploring this technology in the area of brain targeting.  While working with dendrimers, I discovered an innovative method of creating various nano-assemblies for drug delivery and imaging. Prof. Abhay Chauhan advised me to showcase this dendrimer research at the International Dendrimer Symposium (IDS-11) in Portugal. Amazingly, it was selected for both oral and poster presentations.  Somehow, I managed and traveled from India to attend IDS-11 at Madeira Island, Funchal, Portugal. The findings related to dendrimer nano-assembly were well recognized and appreciated by Dr. Donald Tomalia, popularly known as Don-The Father of Dendrimers, who offered me a position to work with him at his organization after the completion of my Ph.D. thesis.

Meanwhile, Dr. Donald Tomalia and his research team at The National Dendrimer & Nanotechnology Center are exploring this technology for the COVID-19 pandemic. I am also permitted to carry forward my dendrimer-related pet projects mostly on weekends. 

To achieve a fruitful product, I have initiated global collaboration with various industries and academia to carry forward the other aspects of dendrimer technology.

Q. Tips and suggestions for the budding scientists.

Ans. I believe if you have a passion for research, you can enjoy each moment and this profession forces no retirement so you can find satisfaction the way you like.   I would like to suggest young scientists be truthful regarding their findings and always be looking for new results that do not fit traditional patterns. When this occurs, it leads to a new discovery– the total essence of science. They should mutually respect and support their colleagues.

Meanwhile, we need to mentor our juniors and students to eliminate their specific sensitivity in accordance with their hypotheses and results. The concept of research does not depend upon the quantity of data. The quality depends upon how deeply we understand the solo data and how much more we can dispense our findings in the scientific community and society. Remember if results come as per our hypothesis, it’s a pattern but if it comes otherwise or unexpected, it’s a real discovery.  Thus, I suggest not to reject our findings if it’s out of expectations. 

We should be flexible in supporting our young researchers’ ideas by explaining complex issues with interesting examples and scholarly activities. We should encourage individuals to make their own connections, collaborate with one another, and take the lead on particular initiatives.

However, as a drug delivery scientist, my first responsibility is not to deliver knowledge, but to make my young researchers knowledgeable and extraordinary thinkers. I believe each candidate is capable and a real mentor can make her/him fly in the air of innovation.