Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

New method using light-activated liposomes is safer, more direct to deliver CRISPR gene therapy

Light-activated liposomes could help to deliver CRISPR gene therapy - and the method could prove safer and more direct than current methods.

12 Nov 2020

A detailed review of plant natural products to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Scientists have compiled the first comprehensive review of plant natural products that play a role in antibacterial activity, to serve as a guide in the search for new drugs to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

12 Nov 2020

Imaging technique reveals opioid receptor localization across the whole brain

Winding and twisting like a labyrinth, the brain consists of an elaborate network of passages through which information flows at high speeds, rapidly generating thoughts, emotions, and physical responses.

12 Nov 2020

Compounds block stress-enhanced reacquisition of nicotine in rats

Stress is a major cause of relapse after people quit smoking. Worrying situations, such as money or relationship problems, can affect neurotransmitter levels in the brain, leading former smokers to reach for a cigarette.

11 Nov 2020

Gene signature may help develop new therapies against advanced prostate cancer

Researchers have identified a genetic signature in localized prostate cancer that can predict whether the cancer is likely to spread, or metastasize, early in the course of the disease and whether it will respond to anti-androgen therapy, a common treatment for advanced disease.

11 Nov 2020

Search for a snakebite drug might lead to a COVID treatment, too

Dr. Matthew Lewin, founder of the Center for Exploration and Travel Health at the California Academy of Sciences, was researching snakebite treatments in rural locations in preparation for an expedition to the Philippines in 2011.

9 Nov 2020

New strategy for designing COVID-19 antiviral drugs to inhibit key viral protein

SARS-CoV-2, the respiratory virus that causes COVID-19, attacks the body in multiple steps. Gaining entry into cells deep within the lungs and hijacking the human host cell's machinery to churn out copies of itself are two of the earliest steps -- both essential for viral infection.

9 Nov 2020

HPV vaccines found to be safe and well-tolerated in males

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and cases various cancers in women and men.

4 Nov 2020

Vitamin D supplements ease symptoms of severe atopic dermatitis in children

Vitamin D supplementation eased the symptoms experienced by children with severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema, in a recent randomized controlled trial published in Pharmacology Research & Perspectives.

4 Nov 2020

Some of the main osteoporosis treatments could have a protective effect against COVID-19

Some of the principal treatments for osteoporosis, denosumab, zoledronate and calcium, could have a protective effect against COVID-19 in patients who take them, specifically a 30 to 40% reduction in the rate of infection, according to the results of a joint study by Hospital del Mar, the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Pompeu Fabra University and the Pere Virgili Health Park.

3 Nov 2020

Researchers develop a unique method of identifying early signs of acute kidney injury

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have identified a unique method of identifying the early signs of a potentially serious condition known as Acute Kidney Injury (AKI).

2 Nov 2020

Beetroot peptide may be a good candidate for development of a drug to treat inflammatory diseases

In a recent study, a research group led by Christian Gruber at MedUni Vienna's Institute of Pharmacology isolated a peptide (small protein molecule) from beetroot.

30 Oct 2020

Experts call for transformative change to reduce future pandemics

Future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, do more damage to the world economy and kill more people than COVID-19 unless there is a transformative change in the global approach to dealing with infectious diseases, warns a major new report on biodiversity and pandemics by 22 leading experts from around the world.

30 Oct 2020

Addictive drug displays different acute pharmacology and synaptic plasticity

Nucleus accumbens in the brain play a central role in the risk-reward circuit. Their operation is based chiefly on three essential neurotransmitters: dopamine, which promotes desire; serotonin, whose effects include satiety and inhibition; and glutamate, which drives goal-directed behaviors and responses to reward-associated cues and contexts.

30 Oct 2020

Time machine suggests a drug testing approach for pancreatic cancer

Many patients with pancreatic cancer have only about a 10% chance of survival within five years of their diagnosis because they tend to become resistant to chemotherapy, past studies have indicated.

30 Oct 2020

Lianhuaqingwen capsule is effective for treating COVID-19 pneumonia

Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) capsule, a herb medicine product, has been clinically proved to be effective in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia treatment. However, human exposure to LHQW components and their pharmacological effects remain largely unknown.

28 Oct 2020

WSU research sheds new light on a drug that may be used to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Research at Washington State University sheds new light on one molecule that may be used to treat a heart condition that can lead to stroke, heart attack and other forms of heart disease.

27 Oct 2020

C-Path receives grant to collect real-world data for real-world evidence in neonatology

Arizona-based Critical Path Institute is pleased to announce it has been awarded a multi-year grant by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to advance standards and methodologies designed to generate real-world evidence from real-world data through a neonatal pilot project through the International Neonatal Consortium.

27 Oct 2020

Advancements in research on cancer signal transduction and treatment

Cancer is driven by numerous genetic and epigenetic changes occurring at the cellular level. These changes drive normal cells to proliferate and escape processes that usually regulate their survival and migration.

27 Oct 2020

Important structures of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro protease

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is changing the world like never before. This crisis is unlikely contained in the absence of effective therapeutics or vaccine.

27 Oct 2020