Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

Recommended doses of ginseng, ginko biloba do not interfere with drug absorption

Recent findings that the widely-used herbal supplement Saint John's wort could dramatically affect the absorption and metabolism of many prescription and non-prescription drugs raised concerns that other popular herbal supplements might cause similar changes, thus significantly altering drugs, therapeutic or toxic effects.

2 May 2007

Statin drugs also may help reduce risk of heart failure

Statin drugs, known primarily for their ability to lower cholesterol, also may reduce the overactive sympathetic nervous system response that contributes to the worsening of heart failure and increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, two University of Missouri-Columbia researchers have found. Heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.

2 May 2007

Biomarker discovery bodes well for better cancer diagnostics

While new findings from Ohio State University scientists suggest a genetic marker that could help distinguish between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer and gauge who will do well with cancer treatment, a pharmacologist at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson in Philadelphia sees the discovery as much more.

2 May 2007

Green tea shows potential for HIV-associated dementia prevention

A compound derived from green tea greatly diminished the neurotoxicity of proteins secreted by the human immunodeficiency virus, suggesting a new approach to the prevention and treatment of HIV-associated dementia, also known as AIDS dementia complex.

2 May 2007

New compounds show potential for cognitive disorders

UC Irvine researchers have identified a new class of compounds that could be used for drugs to treat cognitive disorders that accompany schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and ADHD, according to an article published today in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

2 May 2007

Simvastatin may help sufferers with Alzheimer's

Treatment with Simvastatin, one of the statin drugs widely used for lowering cholesterol in humans, significantly improved spatial memory - how to navigate a water maze - in mice genetically bred to have an Alzheimer's like disease.

1 May 2007

Nanoparticles found near plaque-filled arteries

Scientific evidence increasingly links arterial calcification to the presence of nanosized particles so small that some scientists question whether a nanoparticle can live and, if so, play a viable role in causing disease.

1 May 2007

Drama can be an effective mechanism to educate and motivate

Drama certainly has the power to entertain, but can it also change behavior? A play about substance abuse was successful at prompting audience members to participate in substance abuse prevention activities, according to Allyn Howlett, Ph.D., from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

1 May 2007

Researchers identify antioxidant mechanisms involved in protection against heart disease

Zvonimir Katusic, M.D., Ph.D., and Mayo colleagues have identified antioxidant mechanisms essential for regenerative function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

30 Apr 2007

Drug for toenail fungus also blocks angiogenesis

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered to their surprise that a drug commonly used to treat toenail fungus can also block angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels commonly seen in cancers.

30 Apr 2007

New theory of addiction as a disease of learning and memory

Morphine, as little as a single dose, blocks the brain's ability to strengthen connections at inhibitory synapses, according to new Brown University research published in Nature.

26 Apr 2007

Researcher looks at health benefits of plant-based phytochemicals

Nutrition: It's not just the four basic food groups any more. Researcher Dr. Susanne Mertens-Talcott of Texas A&M University is looking into how plant-based phytochemicals, including antioxidants and herbal supplements, can be useful in the promotion of health and prevention of chronic diseases.

19 Apr 2007

Researchers finds meth receptor that could lead to therapy

A recently discovered signaling system in the brain has just been shown to be turned on by methamphetamine, an Oregon Health & Science University study found.

19 Apr 2007

Twin studies identify genes that influence human health in unexpected ways

Daniel O'Connor, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has studied about 265 twin pairs over the past few years, which has led him to some surprising discoveries.

18 Apr 2007

Purdue molecule could lead to first drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease

A molecule designed by a Purdue University researcher could lead to the first drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

18 Apr 2007

Triphala hinders the growth of pancreatic cancer cells

A new study from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute suggests that a commonly used herbal supplement, triphala, has cancer-fighting properties that prevent or slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumors implanted in mice.

18 Apr 2007

Chemicals in cruciferous vegetables may provide cancer-fighting benefit

Chemicals in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, watercress, cabbage and cauliflower, appear to not only stop human prostate cancer cells from growing in mice but also may cut off the formation of blood vessels that "feed" tumors, says a University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute study.

18 Apr 2007

Nanoparticle delivery system delivers cancer-suppressing gene in M. D. Anderson trial

A cancer-suppressing gene has been successfully delivered into the tumors of stage 4 lung cancer patients via an intravenously administered lipid nanoparticle in a phase I clinical trial at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

18 Apr 2007

Malaria-infected mice cured by one dose of new drug from Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins University researchers have cured malaria-infected mice with single shots of a new series of potent, long lasting synthetic drugs modeled on an ancient Chinese herbal folk remedy.

18 Apr 2007

Selenium as therapy for prostate cancer

Selenium may offer an intervention strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer according to results of a study from the laboratory of Allen Gao, PhD, which will be presented by Yan Hu, PhD, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) at the 2007 centennial meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), April 14-18, in Los Angeles, CA.

17 Apr 2007