Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

Oregano ingredient could treat prostate cancer

Oregano, the common pizza and pasta seasoning herb, has long been known to possess a variety of beneficial health effects, but a new study by researchers at Long Island University (LIU) indicates that an ingredient of this spice could potentially be used to treat prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.

25 Apr 2012

CML and B-ALL arise from the long-term haematopoietic stem cells

Although people generally talk about "cancer", it is clear that the disease occurs in a bewildering variety of forms. Even single groups of cancers, such as those of the white blood cells, may show widely differing properties. How do the various cancers arise and what factors determine their progression? Clues to these two issues, at least for leukaemias, have now been provided by Boris Kovacic and colleagues at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna.

25 Apr 2012

Study sheds light on how stress differently affects women’s hearts

Coronary artery disease continues to be a major cause of death in the U.S., killing hundreds of thousands of people per year. However, this disease burden isn't evenly divided between the sexes; significantly more men than women are diagnosed with coronary artery disease each year. The reasons behind this difference aren't well defined. Though some studies have shown that men's hearts become more constricted than women's during exercise, letting less blood flow through, women are more likely than men to have symptoms of heart trouble after emotional upsets.

25 Apr 2012

Cadmium exposure can cause progression of aggressive breast cancer

Studies by researchers at Dominican University of California show that breast cancer cells become increasingly aggressive the longer they are exposed to small concentrations of cadmium, a heavy metal commonly found in cosmetics, food, water and air particles.

24 Apr 2012

Study shows how acupuncture therapy holds promise for skeletal muscle atrophy

A team of Japanese researchers will reveal study results Monday at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting that show how acupuncture therapy mitigates skeletal muscle loss and holds promise for those seeking improved mobility through muscle rejuvenation.

24 Apr 2012

Study explains association between alcohol consumption and breast cancer

A research team this week will present findings that they say may finally explain the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer.

24 Apr 2012

Researchers identify genetic variations linked to osteoporosis

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have identified the genetic variations that are believed to cause osteoporosis.

23 Apr 2012

Eating rice helps improve diet and manage weight

Eating white or brown rice helps improve diet and manage weight and other risk factors for disease, according to results from a study presented today at the Experimental Biology 2012 conference, in San Diego, CA.

23 Apr 2012

APCR honors PAREXEL COO with Special Recognition Award

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services organization, today announced that its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mark A. Goldberg, M.D., was honored by the Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research.

From Parexel 23 Apr 2012

BAMC/SAMMC researcher develops microemulsion vaccine carrier

A researcher at the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC)/San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) will present findings this week on a new potential vaccine carrier that he hopes will extend the shelf life of and aid in the stockpiling of critical vaccines.

23 Apr 2012

Moxonidine drug can improve heart function and reduce blood pressure

Heart failure is the most common cause of death throughout the world, typically the result of chronic high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. As a result, research efforts have focused on an array of approaches aimed at preventing and treating high blood pressure. Recently, Japanese researchers examined the utility of an anti-hypertensive drug, moxonidine, which acts on the imidazoline receptors in the cardiovascular center of the brainstem.

23 Apr 2012

Avocado oil protects against free radicals in mitochondria

Atmospheric oxygen facilitated the evolution and complexity of terrestrial organisms, including human beings, because it allowed nutrients to be used more efficiently by those organisms, which in turn were able to generate more energy. However, as we find out more about how oxygen molecules work inside the body, more attention is being paid to their not-so-good effects, and researchers are seeking ways to thwart them.

23 Apr 2012

Preliminary data hint at how neem extracts may stop replication of HIV virus

Tall, with dark-green pointy leaves, the neem tree of India is known as the "village pharmacy." As a child growing up in metropolitan New Delhi, Sonia Arora recalls on visits to rural areas seeing villagers using neem bark to clean their teeth. Arora's childhood memories have developed into a scientific fascination with natural products and their power to cure illnesses.

23 Apr 2012

Autophagy potential target for new CF treatments

Scientists have found why a certain type of bacteria, harmless in healthy people, is so deadly to patients with cystic fibrosis.

23 Apr 2012

Brain freeze may share common mechanism with other types of headaches

'Brain freeze' is a nearly universal experience—almost everyone has felt the near-instantaneous headache brought on by a bite of ice cream or slurp of ice-cold soda on the upper palate. However, scientists are still at a loss to explain this phenomenon. Since migraine sufferers are more likely to experience brain freeze than people who don't have this often-debilitating condition, brain freeze may share a common mechanism with other types of headaches, including those brought on by the trauma of blast-related combat injuries in soldiers.

23 Apr 2012

Estrone provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities after TBI

With more than 1.7 million people sustaining a traumatic brain injury each year, the need to identify processes to limit inflammation and subsequent damage is critical. Approximately 275,000 people are hospitalized annually with traumatic brain injury, leaving 85,000 with long-term disabilities and taking the lives of more than 50,000. More than 5 million people live with disabilities caused by traumatic brain injuries, often the result of car accidents and falls. Direct and indirect costs exceed $75 billion.

23 Apr 2012

HBO2 therapy can reduce neuropathic pain

Chronic pain affects about 76 million people in the U.S. and carries an economic burden of nearly $100 billion annually. The most frequently used medications, narcotic and non-narcotic analgesic drugs (e.g., morphine, ibuprofen, etc.), do not provide complete or sustained relief of chronic pain. Scientists are currently seeking alternative solutions for chronic pain management.

23 Apr 2012

SUMO protein regulates transfer of information between nerve cells in the brain

A key protein, which may be activated to protect nerve cells from damage during heart failure or epileptic seizure, has been found to regulate the transfer of information between nerve cells in the brain. The discovery, made by neuroscientists at the University of Bristol and published in Nature Neuroscience and PNAS, could lead to novel new therapies for stroke and epilepsy.

23 Apr 2012

Magnetic nanochain detonates chemo barrage inside tumors

Medicine-toting nanochains slip into tumors and explode a chemotherapy drug into hard-to-reach cores of cancer, engineers and scientists at Case Western Reserve University report.

19 Apr 2012

CLYD gene serves as crucial negative regulator in pulmonary fibrosis

An international team of researchers led by Georgia State University scientists have found a key component in the pathological process of pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal disease for which there is currently no cure.

11 Apr 2012