According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health threats that humanity is facing, while in 2019 cancer disease became the leading cause of death in the industrialized countries (in Croatia second leading cause). Over the last two decades, peptide–drug conjugates (PDCs) have emerged as very important class of prodrugs to tackle various infectious diseases and cancers. PDC therapeutics combine one or more small drug molecules conjugated, most often, to a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) either directly or through a biodegradable linker. This integration of two bioactive elements into a single entity often provides novel functionalities and improved bioavailability to treat conditions where conventional drugs are ineffective. In this talk we will highlight the recent advancements and current research hot-spots in the field of PDC therapeutics against microbial infections and cancers.

Porijeklom Makedonac Toni Todorovski kemičar je koji se obrazovao na Sveučilištu u Skopju, Sveučilištu u Lajpcigu te Sveučilištu Pompeu Fabra u Barcelonu. Peptidnom medicinskom kemijom bavi se od 2008. godine, a od 2023. godine voditelj je istraživačke grupe na Fakultetu biotehnologije i razvoja lijekova Sveučilišta u Rijeci.