Pharmacology/ Therapeutics News for August 2012

Pharmacology/ Therapeutics News Archive

African research identifies strong candidate for possible single-dose malaria cure African research identifies strong candidate for possible single-dose malaria cure

A recently discovered compound from the aminopyridine class not only has the potential to become part of a single-dose cure for all strains of malaria, but might also be able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person, according to a research collaboration involving the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), based in Switzerland, and the Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3-D) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. On the basis of initial results it was selected by MMV for further development – making it the first compound researched on African soil to enter preclinical development in partnership with MMV.

Zebra fish point the way towards new therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Zebra fish point the way towards new therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Leuven scientists are using zebrafish as a model in their search for genes that have a role in the mechanism of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As a result, they have identified a molecule that could be the target for a future ALS treatment. ALS is a progressive degenerative motor neuron disease for which there currently is no treatment. Their study has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine.

Toward medicines that recruit the body’s natural disease-fighting proteins Toward medicines that recruit the body’s natural disease-fighting proteins

Like recruiters pitching military service to a throng of people, scientists are developing drugs to recruit disease-fighting proteins present naturally in everyone’s blood in medicine’s war on infections, cancer and a range of other diseases. They reported on the latest advances in this new approach at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

Johns Hopkins researchers return blood cells to stem cell state Johns Hopkins researchers return blood cells to stem cell state

Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a reliable method to turn the clock back on blood cells, restoring them to a primitive stem cell state from which they can then develop into any other type of cell in the body.

Thomson Reuters study confirms economic viability of orphan drugs positioned for unmet medical needs Thomson Reuters study confirms economic viability of orphan drugs positioned for unmet medical needs

The Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading provider of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today released the results of its study on orphan drugs, developed to treat rare diseases, finding that they have the potential to generate as much lifetime revenue as drugs used for more common health conditions.

Moffitt Cancer Center melanoma expert reviews unique adverse events with newly approved drug Moffitt Cancer Center melanoma expert reviews unique adverse events with newly approved drug

An internationally recognized melanoma researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of Kiel in Germany, including Axel Hauschild, M.D. and Katharina C. Kähler, M.D., have published an article in the current issue of The Journal of Clinical Oncology that describes immune-related adverse events for patients receiving either tremelimumab or ipilimumab, the latter a drug approved last year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating metastatic melanoma and other cancers.

Scientists solve key piece of prostate cancer puzzle Scientists solve key piece of prostate cancer puzzle

Cancer Research UK scientists have revealed a completely new route by which male androgen hormones fuel the growth of prostate cancer, raising the prospect that existing drugs could be used to treat the disease. The findings are published in Molecular Endocrinology.

Daily cocoa flavanol consumption shown to improve cognitive function in older adults Daily cocoa flavanol consumption shown to improve cognitive function in older adults

A study conducted by researchers from the University of L’Aquila in Italy and Mars, Incorporated provides compelling new evidence that the regular consumption of dietary cocoa flavanols may improve cognitive function in elderly subjects with early memory decline.

Researchers identify new drug target for schizophrenia Researchers identify new drug target for schizophrenia

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine may have discovered why certain drugs to treat schizophrenia are ineffective in some patients. Published online in Nature Neuroscience, the research will pave the way for a new class of drugs to help treat this devastating mental illness, which impacts one percent of the world's population, 30 percent of whom do not respond to currently available treatments.

Scientists use worms to unearth cancer drug targets Scientists use worms to unearth cancer drug targets

Through novel experiments involving small nematode worms, scientists from University of Wyoming have discovered several genes that may be potential targets for drug development in the ongoing war against cancer. Specifically, researchers hypothesize that inhibiting these genes could reverse certain key traits associated with cancer cells. This discovery is published in the August 2012 issue of the Genetics Society of America’s journal Genetics.

A new approach to improving cancer chemotherapy A new approach to improving cancer chemotherapy

Chemotherapy kills tumor cells, but it also wreaks havoc on the rest of the body. A team of researchers led by Igor Roninson of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy just reported the discovery of a new class of drugs that reduces the adverse effects of cellular damage from chemotherapy.

Aurka-to-p53 signaling: a link between stem cell regulation and cancer Aurka-to-p53 signaling: a link between stem cell regulation and cancer

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the University of Manchester, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center have found a new role for an oncogenic signaling pathway in embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal and in reprogramming adult cells into an ESC-state, which will aid in the development of future cancer therapies.