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Showing posts from May, 2018

NATURAL PRODUCTS Vs. SYNTHETIC DRUGS

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In a first-ever comprehensive study of 124 natural product combinations, a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Tsinghua University, led by Professor Chen Yu Zong from the Department of Pharmacy at the NUS Faculty of Science, found that certain combinations of natural products can be as effective as human-made drugs in acting against specific disease processes. However, the chances of finding the effective combination of natural products could be as low as below 3 per cent. The active ingredients in combinations of natural products can achieve the same level of potency as synthetic anticancer and antibacterial drugs but they have to be taken in larger quantities or for a longer period of time. These combinations include traditional Chinese medicine such as the Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula designed for the treatment of leukemia, Wedelia chinensis for anti-inflammatory purposes and black tea used in Japan for the treatment of gastroenteritis.

Overdose Risk Factors in Youth

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Very little research exists on risk factors associated with overdose in young people presenting for substance use disorder treatment. In addition to screening for substance-specific risk factors, it is important that providers systematically screen young patients for overdose histories and for psychiatric factors that may increase overdose risk. Most studies of overdose risk among individuals with substance use disorders have focused on adults, and the few that specifically studied youngpeople only assessed substance-related risk factors and not psychiatric symptoms. Since substance use patterns are known to differ between youth and adults, and since brain regions important to decision making do not fully mature until the 20s, it is important to investigate whether risk factors differ between the two age groups.               The research team conducted a retrospective analysis of deidentified data from intake assessments conducted at Addiction Recovery Management Serv

Novel Drug Action for HIV / AIDS

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The LASER ART developed by the UNMC scientists is a formulation of injectable drugs, he said. The long-lasting medication was developed by making pharmacological changes in the chemical structure of the drug, while at the same time protecting its abilities to contain infection. The new drug formulation is not an anti-HIV medicine, but rather one that opens storage areas inside cells where drugs can be maintained for a long period of time. This extends the intervals for dosing and allows physicians to administer the drug over an extended period of time.   To accomplish this, the scientists merged LASER ART with URMC-099, which alone has no antiviral effect. Co-administration with antiretroviral medicines provides enhanced viral suppression. The scientists discovered that several innovative strategies -- slow drug dissolution, poor water-solubility and improved bioavailability -- could bring the medication to the sites of active viral growth and accelerate clearance of the vir

Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics

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The major study in pharmacology is how drug reacts to body? ( Pharmacodynamics ) And what body does to the drugs? ( Pharmacokinetics ). Here detailed understanding of Agonist and Antagonist is required.  Where binding of drug to receptor molecule induces the chemicals signal against the antigens, here the Drug Posology should be exact enough to induce the process and also Drug concentration within the body should be maintained for complete destruction of antigens. The drug resistance is developed when improper concentration level within the body and also due to uptake of Over-the-counter drugs. Before binding of drug molecule the Drug specificity and Affinity should be evaluated for particular receptor. In pharmacokinetics the binding of drugs to receptor & Regulator mechanism should be evaluated along with ADME (Adsorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion) process. In Pharmacodynamics concerned with effect and Mechanism of drug action which is now advanced by app