Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

New driver of atherosclerosis may prove to be promising therapeutic target

A new driver of atherosclerosis has been identified by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. This molecule, known as 27HC (27-hydroxycholesterol), has been found to exacerbate the development of the condition, and may prove to be a promising therapeutic target.

20 Jun 2014

New strategy for treating neuroblastoma using modified version of heparin

Researchers at Duke Medicine have identified a new strategy for treating neuroblastoma using a modified version of heparin, a century-old injectable drug that thins the blood to prevent clots from forming.

18 Jun 2014

Failing dopamine pump damages brain cells of patients with Parkinson's disease

A study group at the Medical University of Vienna's Centre for Brain Research has investigated the function of an intracellular dopamine pump in Parkinson's patients compared to a healthy test group.

18 Jun 2014

Gluten-free diet can improve 'brain fog' in individuals with celiac disease

Individuals with celiac disease often experience 'brain fog' in addition to intestinal problems, but a new study shows that adhering to a gluten-free diet can lead to improvements in cognition that correlate with the extent of intestinal healing.

17 Jun 2014

Novel microscopy technology helps detect protein that plays key role in prostate cancer

Assemblies of proteins, known as protein complexes, have important functions in cells; protein complexes embedded in the cell membrane, for example, are responsible for the exchange with the extracellular environment.

16 Jun 2014

Investigators isolate protein that is responsible for fungus' ability to cross blood-brain barrier

In a remarkable series of experiments on a fungus that causes cryptococcal meningitis, a deadly infection of the membranes that cover the spinal cord and brain, investigators at UC Davis have isolated a protein that appears to be responsible for the fungus' ability to cross from the bloodstream into the brain.

13 Jun 2014

Excessive abuse of alcohol causes structural damage at molecular level to the brain

Joint research between the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the University of Nottingham has identified, for the first time, the structural damage caused at a molecular level to the brain by the chronic excessive abuse of alcohol.

13 Jun 2014

Proteins causing daytime sleepiness also play crucial role in bone formation

Orexin proteins, which are blamed for spontaneous daytime sleepiness, also play a crucial role in bone formation, according to findings by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

13 Jun 2014

Scientists discover important new biomarker that could improve HER2 targeted cancer treatments

Scientists from the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin have made a significant discovery of a new biomarker which may help overcome resistance to newer and more targeted anti-cancer drugs, such as Herceptin, for HER2 positive cancers. These findings may also help the early identification of patients who will benefit more from these treatments.

11 Jun 2014

Penn researchers awarded $10 million grant to study adverse health effects, remediation of asbestos

Researchers at the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, have been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences over the next four years to study asbestos exposure pathways that lead to mesothelioma, the bioremediation of this hazardous material, and mechanisms that lead to asbestos-related diseases.

10 Jun 2014

Advances in understanding of genetics of CAD lead to more therapeutic targets

Advances in the understanding of the genetics of coronary artery disease, or CAD, will revitalize the field and lead to more therapeutic targets for new medicines to combat this common disease, suggests a genetics expert from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in a Perspective article in the new issue of Science Translational Medicine.

9 Jun 2014

Study defines how our ability to identify spatial acuity varies across the body

"Where does it hurt?" is the first question asked to any person in pain. A new UCL study defines for the first time how our ability to identify where it hurts, called "spatial acuity", varies across the body, being most sensitive at the forehead and fingertips.

9 Jun 2014

Researchers find that protein serves as on-off switch for "beigeing" of fat

Scientists this week reported that a molecular pathway called mTORC1 controls the conversion of unhealthy white fat into beige fat, an appealing target for increasing energy expenditure and reducing obesity.

6 Jun 2014

Lack of O2 in fat cells triggers inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have, for the first time, described the sequence of early cellular responses to a high-fat diet, one that can result in obesity-induced insulin resistance and diabetes.

6 Jun 2014

New gene involved in Parkinson's disease, find researchers

A team of UCLA researchers has identified a new gene involved in Parkinson's disease, a finding that may one day provide a target for a new drug to prevent and potentially even cure the debilitating neurological disorder.

5 Jun 2014

Son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by father

Even before conception, a son's vulnerability for alcohol use disorders could be shaped by a father who chronically drinks to excess, according to a new animal study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

5 Jun 2014

Syngene International, Bristol-Myers Squibb extend drug discovery and development collaboration

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Syngene International, India's largest contract research organization, today announced a five-year extension of their drug discovery and development collaboration in India.

3 Jun 2014

Obesity, overweight correlated with prevalence of H. pylori infection

The germ Helicobacter pylori is the cause of most stomach ulcers, but new research in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics suggests that treating the bacteria is linked to weight gain.

3 Jun 2014

NYU Langone scientists identify promising treatment target for Alzheimer's disease

Scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center have identified a compound, called 2-PMAP, in animal studies that reduced by more than half levels of amyloid proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease.

3 Jun 2014

P2Y12 and blood clotting: an interview with Dr. Jacobson, NIH

We already understand the many steps involved in blood clotting in great mechanistic detail. The process of blood vessels closing off in response to injury is necessary for preserving life, but blood platelets that are over-active, or activated inappropriately because of unstable plaque, can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

3 Jun 2014