MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY PERSPECTIVES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: CHALLENGES AND OPPROTUNITIES

In the 21st century, medicinal chemists will face many challenges to improve the quality of life of populations. The challenges consist of emerging infectious (ex. bacterial, viral and parasite infections) and non-communicable diseases (ex. autoimmune, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson’s disease) that will require innovative technologies (ex. microfluidics, nanotechnology, biotechnology) to be fully understood and combated. In this work, we indicate trends, perspectives and opportunities related to drug discovery as well as highlight the tools and strategies that could be used in drug discovery of the 21st century.