Pharmacology

A drug used to treat cancer has been shown to enhance long-term memory and strengthen neural connections in the brain, according to a new study by UC Irvine scientists. In the study with mice, scientists found that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors – currently used in clinical trials to attack cancerous tumors – relaxes the protein structure that organizes and compacts genomic DNA, allowing for easier activation of genes involved in memory storage. This finding suggests that HDAC inhibitors could boost memory in humans and – because of the way they work – be therapeutic for people with…

Commonly used by around 10 million people in east Africa and countries in the Arabian peninsula, chewing khat for its stimulant properties has also become popular in the UK among immigrants of the Somali, Yemeni and Ethiopian communities. Whilst it is reported to have cultural functions, it is also increasingly reported to be associated with social and medical problems including anti-social behaviour, unemployment, psychoses, depression, and self-neglect. Go to 3DChem to interact with a 3D model of the Khat structure In light of ongoing international concern about a contributory association…

A new study shows that use of antipsychotic drugs is associated with an early and sustained increase in risk of death when used to treat disruptive behavior of older adults with dementia. The study suggests that both newer “atypical” antipsychotics and older conventional antipsychotics are associated with increased mortality. The highest risk appears to involve use of the older conventional drugs. Antipsychotic drugs are approved for treating psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and mania. But they are widely prescribed to manage behavioral symptoms of dementia, such as agitation,…

Three new drugs are predicted to help transform the long-term prognosis for people with the AIDS virus, says an editorial in BMJ, which points towards highly promising results from trials of three new drugs. HIV patients in “deep salvage” – meaning those people who have developed multidrug resistant HIV that does not respond to drug combination therapy – could benefit the most. “This year, we may witness a dramatic shift in how these patients are managed,” says the editorial written by Hiroyu Hatano, infectious diseases fellow and Steven Deeks, associate professor of medicine, both of San…

Women who consume higher amounts of calcium and vitamin D may have a lower risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer. Data from animal studies have linked calcium and vitamin D to breast cancer prevention, according to background information in the article. However, epidemiologic studies on humans have been less conclusive. Jennifer Lin, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues assessed 10,578 premenopausal and 20,909 postmenopausal women age 45 and older who were part of the Women's Health Study. At the beginning of the study (in 1993 or…

Based on a Finnish study, smokers have higher risk of depression than non-smokers. In addition, smokers who quit have an elevated risk of depressive symptoms in the short term. It is known that depression is associated with cigarette smoking, but the nature of this association has been unclear. According to the self-medication hypothesis, those who suffer from depressive symptoms smoke cigarettes in order to alleviate their symptoms. Another hypothesis is that chronic persistent smoking may have a role in the etiology of depression. A third hypothesis suggests that there is a reciprocal…

Approximately ten million American adults have problems controlling their bladders. Bladder disease affects both men and women and can include incontinence or interstitial cystitis, a chronic inflammatory condition that causes frequent, urgent and painful urination and pelvic discomfort. Herbal agents could be used to treat inflammatory bladder diseases, according to a preliminary study that looked at the ability of green tea to protect bladder cells from inflammation. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study, found that components of green tea protected bladder cells from…

The increase in the number of diagnosed cases of autism in recent years has sparked concern that environmental toxins may cause this complex disorder. A new study found, however, that exposure to Rh immune globulin preserved with mercury-containing thimerosal before birth was no higher for children with autism. The study was led by Judith Miles at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Although experts anticipate that autism will be the first behavioral/psychiatric disorder for which major genes will be identified, there is still fierce debate that thimerosal, a preservative commonly used in…

I gripe about the poverty of postdoctoral scientists, but I'd rather be poor and keep my professional integrity than be lavishly paid by drug makers and lose my conscience. The NY Times has a story about psychiatrists who receive payments from drug makers, and who also just happen to have a tendency to frequently prescribe 'atypical drugs' for children with psychiatric problems. (Atypical here means prescribed for an unconventional use or patient population, one for which the drug was not initially designed. Atypical prescriptions are not necessarily bad - physicians are allowed to use their…

Drinking farm milk can protect children against asthma and hayfever, according to a study of nearly 15,000 children published in the May issue of Clinical and Experimental Allergy. But consuming farm milk that hasn’t been boiled may pose health risks and further research is needed to develop a safe product that still provides good protection against these common childhood diseases. Researchers from Europe and the USA studied 14,893 children aged between five and 13 in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. The children were drawn from farm children, rural and suburban…