ISLAMABAD, July 3: The government has allocated Rs400 million for two premier institutes, Comsats and the National Institute for Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (Nibge) Faisalabad, for research in nano medicine.

This was stated by Dr Raheel Qamar, who is studying the discipline at the Comsats Institute of Nano Technology, at the monthly meeting of the Scientists Club here on Saturday.

He said the first application of the nano-medicine technology in the country would be development of kits for diagnoses of different diseases. He announced that indigenous development of these kits would be started soon, saving valuable foreign exchange.

At present, these kits are imported, he said, adding that “in most cases, these kits were not suitable to our particular environment as the diseases found in foreign countries differed from those found here, so we ought to develop these kits on the basis of data obtained in the country”.

A lot of studies in this regard are being done at Nibge, Faisalabad.

Dr Qamar said huge advancement had been made worldwide in therapeutic uses of nano-medicine technology, particularly in treating cancer. The technology can also be helpful in treating coronary diseases.

“Because of their small size, nanoparticles have the advantage of easily interacting with biomolecules on the surface of cells or inside. In addition, nano medicine has the potential of reducing the morbidity and morality among patients.”

Former commandant of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Gen (retired) I.T. Burney, who presided over the event, appreciated the efforts of nano-medicine diagnostic expert Dr Qamar for keeping his country in stride with progress in the new technology.

He said many Muslim countries were looking up to Pakistan for assimilating new developments in science and technology which would be of use to them in later years.

Gen Burney said: “We are lucky that we have made progress in related diagnostic fields. He recalled that the country received its first electronic microscope able to magnify a cell 40 times during his time.”

Later, Gen Burney said he was given funds to acquire an electronic microscope that could magnify things 100 times. “We have now acquired the capacity to actually see the structure of cells and a time would come when we could deliver therapeutic agents directly to the affected cells,” he said. — Jonaid Iqbal