Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Ability to metabolize tamoxifen affects breast cancer outcomes

Continuous vancomycin optimizes neonate therapy

In continuation of my update on vancomycin...

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Scientists design small molecules that recognize myotonic dystrophy-associated RNAs

In continuation of my update on RNAs


Killing the message: An approach to direct the cleavage of RNA targets with small molecules in living cells is described (see scheme). A bifunctional small molecule (purple) that recognizes a specific three nucleotide repeat sequence and cleaves that sequence in response to light was shown to be effective at degrading the myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) extended repeat RNAs, affecting biological functions.


Ref : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.201206888/abstract

Monday, December 31, 2012

Chinese medicine yields secrets: Atomic mechanism of two-headed molecule derived from Chang Shan, a traditional chinese herb

The mysterious inner workings of Chang Shan  a Chinese herbal medicine used for thousands of years to treat fevers associated with malaria  have been uncovered thanks to a high-resolution structure solved at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). Described in the journal Nature this week, the structure shows in atomic detail how a two-headed compound derived from the active ingredient in Chang Shan works. Scientists have known that this compound, called halofuginone (a derivative of the febrifugine), can suppress parts of the immune system  but nobody knew exactly how.


The new structure shows that, like a wrench in the works, halofuginone jams the gears of a molecular machine that carries out "aminoacylation," a crucial biological process that allows organisms to synthesize the proteins they need to live. Chang Shan, also known asDichroa febrifuga Lour, probably helps with malarial fevers because traces of a halofuginone-like chemical in the herb interfere with this same process in malaria parasites, killing them in an infected person's bloodstream.


"Our new results solved a mystery that has puzzled people about the mechanism of action of a medicine that has been used to treat fever from a malaria infection going back probably 2,000 years or more," said Paul Schimmel, PhD, the Ernest and Jean Hahn Professor and Chair of Molecular Biology and Chemistry and member of The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at TSRI. Schimmel led the research with TSRI postdoctoral fellow Huihao Zhou, PhD.

Halofuginone (see structure, below) has been in clinical trials for cancer, but the high-resolution picture of the molecule suggests it has a modularity that would make it useful as a template to create new drugs for numerous other diseases.





Gattex Approved for Short Bowel Syndrome - Drugs.com MedNews


We know that, Gattex (teduglutide) is a recombinant analog of human glucagon-like peptide 2 for the treatment of adults with short bowel syndrome....

Gattex Approved for Short Bowel Syndrome - Drugs.com MedNews

Sunday, December 30, 2012

FDA Approves Adasuve (loxapine) Inhalation Powder for the Acute Treatment of Agitation Associated with Schizophrenia or Bipolar I Disorder in Adults



We know that, Loxapine (LoxapacLoxitane) is a typical antipsychotic medication, used primarily in the treatment of schizophrenia. It is a member of the dibenzoxazepine class and structurally related to clozapine (which belongs to the chemically akin class of dibenzodiazepines). Several researchers have argued that Loxapine may behave as an atypical antipsychotic.  Loxapine may be metabolized by N-demethylation to amoxapine, a tetracyclic antidepressant. ........




Saturday, December 29, 2012

Penn Team Mimicking a Natural Defense Against Malaria to Develop New Treatments

Penn Team Mimicking a Natural Defense Against Malaria to Develop New Treatments

Dantrolene shows promise for treating DMD


 File:Dantrolene Tanaka et al.svg

We know that, Dantrolene sodium is a muscle relaxant that acts by abolishing excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells, probably by action on the ryanodine receptor. It is the only specific and effective treatment for malignant hyperthermia, a rare, life-threatening disorder triggered by general anesthesia. It is also used in the management of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, muscle spasticity (e.g. after strokes, in paraplegiacerebral palsy, or patients with multiple sclerosis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy") intoxication, serotonin syndrome, and 2,4-dinitrophenol poisoning. It is marketed by JHP Pharmaceuticals LLC as Dantrium (in North America) and Dantrolen (Europe).
  

Friday, December 28, 2012

Dantrolene shows promise for treating DMD



 File:Dantrolene Tanaka et al.svg



We know that, Dantrolene sodium is a muscle relaxant that acts by abolishing excitation-contraction coupling in muscle cells, probably by action on the ryanodine receptor. It is the only specific and effective treatment for malignant hyperthermia, a rare, life-threatening disorder triggered by general anesthesia. It is also used in the management of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, muscle spasticity (e.g. after strokes, in paraplegiacerebral palsy, or patients with multiple sclerosis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine   ("ecstasy") intoxication, serotonin syndrome, and 2,4-dinitrophenol poisoning. It is marketed by JHP Pharmaceuticals LLC as Dantrium (in North America) and Dantrolen (Europe).