Pharmacology News and Research

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Pharmacology is the study of how chemical substances interact with living systems. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals. The field encompasses drug composition and properties, interactions, toxicology, therapy, and medical applications and antipathogenic capabilities.

New Approach Could Power the Development of Advanced Cell Therapies

A new approach to the genetic engineering of cells promises significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and reduction in cellular toxicity compared to current methods.

2 May 2023

How Bacteria Take Action to Break Out of Dormancy

Solving a riddle that has confounded biologists since bacterial spores -; inert, sleeping bacteria -; were first described more than 150 years ago, researchers at Harvard Medical School have discovered a new kind of cellular sensor that allows spores to detect the presence of nutrients in their environment and quickly spring back to life.

2 May 2023

The Pivotal Role of Combinatorial CRISPR Gene Editing in the Elimination of HIV-1 Infection

Recent research from Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center demonstrates that gene-editing therapy aimed at two targets - HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, and CCR5, the co-receptor that aids the virus getting into cells—can effectively eliminate HIV infection.

2 May 2023

Csx28 Membrane Protein Enhances CRISPR's Anti-Viral Defense

CRISPR achieved scientific popularity for its capacity to quickly and precisely edit genes. At the core, however, CRISPR systems are immune systems that aid bacteria to safeguard themselves from viruses through targeting and abolishing viral RNA and DNA.

28 Apr 2023

Novel 3D Structure can Serve as Blueprint to Engineer New BoNT/E Variants

A team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine, have revealed the first crystal structures of the receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin E (BoNT/E) in complex with its human neuronal receptors, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A).

28 Apr 2023

Novel Protein Involved in Tumor Suppression Identified

Understanding how cancer develops is critical for designing effective, personalized cancer therapies. Researchers have known for years that cancer begins with mutations in certain types of genes.

7 Apr 2023

Curcumin could enhance ovarian cancer treatments

A pharmacology researcher at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) has co-authored a new study that makes a strong case for why a golden spice commonly found in curry could enhance ovarian cancer treatments.

23 Mar 2023

Macrophages likely to be a potential target for ER+ breast cancer

Most immunotherapies that aim to increase T cell activity are ineffective in treating estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. A new study of invasive ER+ breast cancers led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine implies that targeting a different type of immune cell called macrophages may be a more effective approach.

From University of Pittsburgh 20 Mar 2023

Immune landscape in invasive ER+ breast cancers reveals a macrophage-driven microenvironment

Most immunotherapies, which aim to boost T cell activity, work poorly in treating estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer.

20 Mar 2023

Effective backup mechanism ensures efficient antimicrobial responses in humans

In the human body, virus particles are identified by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) either within or on the cell surface. When a receptor is activated, a signaling cascade is initiated, which results in the production and release of signaling molecules like interferons and cytokines.

14 Mar 2023

Deeper understanding of T-cell responses may lead to better, more personalized immunotherapies

For the first time, a research team has identified and analyzed the steps by which immune cells "see" and respond to cancer cells, providing insights into reasons some treatments may be effective for certain patients but not others.

9 Mar 2023

Liver-produced hormone protects mice against the harmful effects of intoxication

A shot of a liver-produced hormone called FGF21 sobered up mice that had passed out from alcohol, allowing them to regain consciousness and coordination much faster than those that didn't receive this treatment, UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study.

8 Mar 2023

Study illuminates how lung cells protect themselves against RNA viral infection

A new University of California, Irvine-led study uncovers how a protein, APOBEC3B, could protect cells against many different types of RNA viruses like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV2, influenza virus, poliovirus and measles, helping to prevent disease.

23 Feb 2023

Developing a potential drug molecule that targets STAT5

STAT5 has generally been recognized as an enticing cancer target, but after years of research, it was downgraded to the “undruggable” category. Now, scientists at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have achieved success with a novel approach.

17 Feb 2023

PFAS chemical helps suppress the neutrophil respiratory burst, study finds

In a new study, researchers found that the PFAS chemical GenX suppresses the neutrophil respiratory burst – the method white blood cells known as neutrophils use to kill invading pathogens.

16 Feb 2023

An innovative strategy for on-demand contraception for men

An experimental contraceptive drug developed by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators temporarily stops sperm in their tracks and prevents pregnancies in preclinical models. The study, published in Nature Communications on Feb. 14, demonstrates that an on-demand male contraceptive is possible.

16 Feb 2023

Study reveals the mechanisms that prevent effective cancer cell death

Cancer is a disease driven by gene mutations. These mutated genes in cancer fall into two major categories: tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Mutations in tumor suppressor genes can allow tumors to grow unchecked – a case of no brakes – while mutations in oncogenes can activate cell proliferation, pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

14 Feb 2023

Extracts from two common wild plants block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells

Two common wild plants contain extracts that inhibit the ability of the virus that causes COVID-19 to infect living cells, an Emory University study finds.

13 Feb 2023

A treatment strategy to hasten cancer cell death

Gene mutations are the cause of cancer. Tumor suppressors and oncogenes are the two main groups of these altered genes in cancer. Mutations in oncogenes can drive cell proliferation, pushing the gas pedal to the floor, whereas mutations in tumor suppressor genes can cause tumors to grow unchecked—a situation in which there is no control.

13 Feb 2023

UVA researchers discover a key trigger for common liver disease

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have discovered a key trigger for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a mysterious condition that causes fat to build up in the liver for no clear reason.

10 Feb 2023