Gabapentin drug helps people to quit cannabis..

We know that, Gabapentin (see structure; brand names Fanatrex, Gabarone, Gralise, Neurontin, Nupentin) is a pharmaceutical drug, specifically a GABA analogue. It was originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy, and currently is also used to relieve neuropathic pain. 

Now Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found clinical evidence that the drug gabapentin, currently on the market to treat neuropathic pain and epilepsy, helps people to quit smoking marijuana (cannabis). Unlike traditional addiction treatments, gabapentin targets stress systems in the brain that are activated by drug withdrawal.

In a 12-week trial of 50 treatment-seeking cannabis users, those who took gabapentin used less cannabis, experienced fewer withdrawal symptoms such as sleeplessness, and scored higher on tests of attention, impulse-control, and other cognitive skills, compared to patients who received a placebo. If these results are confirmed by ongoing larger trials, gabapentin could become the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment for cannabis dependence.

"A lot of other drugs have been tested for their ability to decrease cannabis use and withdrawal, but this is the first to show these key effects in a controlled treatment study," said Barbara J. Mason, the Pearson Family Chair and Co-Director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at Scripps Research. "The other nice thing about gabapentin is that it is already widely prescribed, so its safety is less likely to be an issue."

Ref : http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/npp201214a.html 

Seeking HIV treatment clues in the neem tree

Seeking HIV treatment clues in the neem tree

Soy protein alleviates symptoms of fatty liver disease, study suggests

In continuation of my update on Soy

Soy protein alleviates symptoms of fatty liver disease, study suggests

Forty-year-old Fourier transform mass spectrometry phasing problem solved

Forty-year-old Fourier transform mass spectrometry phasing problem solved: Scientists have developed a computation which simultaneously doubles the resolution, sensitivity and mass accuracy of Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FTMS) at no extra cost.

Liquorice root found to contain anti-diabetic substance

In continuation of my update on Liquorice roots

Liquorice root found to contain anti-diabetic substance

Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking

In continuation of my update on Omega-3-fatty acids...

Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking: Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking, according to a new study.

Experts share top 5 springtime fruits and vegetables that fight cancer

Experts share top 5 springtime fruits and vegetables that fight cancer: The price of springtime fruits and vegetables seems to increase each year. But when buyers break this expense down to cents, they realize stocking up on these cancer-fighting foods still makes economical sense, say experts from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

EMA CHMP recommends approval of AMAG’s ferumoxytol

EMA CHMP recommends approval of AMAG’s ferumoxytol: AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion for the approval of ferumoxytol, an intravenous (IV) iron therapy, for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in adult patients with chronic kidney disease.

More info on Ferumoxytol : http://www.druginformation.com/RxDrugs/F/Ferumoxytol%20Injection.html

Consumption of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs lowers risk of colorectal polyps in women

In continuation of my update on omega fatty acids

Consumption of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs lowers risk of colorectal polyps in women: New research finds that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in seafood (long-chain omega-3s) may reduce the risk of precancerous colorectal polyps in women, enhance the muscular benefits of strength training in older women and improve eye health after corneal surgery.

Natural products isolated from marine mollusks and sponges can reverse multidrug resistance in cancer cells

Oceans are a treasure trove of naturally produced chemical compounds with impressive and varied biological activity. One class of these compounds, the lamellarins, has some members that are cytotoxic, while others are able to reverse multidrug resistance in certain cancer cells. These lamellarins (see below structure) act by inhibiting the so-called P-glycoprotein, which enhances transport of anticancer agents out of cancer cells, thus rendering the cells multidrug resistant.

Now researchers lead by Professor Rob Capon, have set out to determine the structures of a variety of lamellarins and correlate them to the activity of the compounds. As they report in Chemistry—An Asian Journal, the activity is not determined by the core structure of the compounds but rather depends on the exact nature of pendant groups adorning the periphery of the molecule. Those compounds in which many hydroxy (OH) groups had been replaced with methoxy (OCH₃) were able to reverse multidrug resistance in human colon cancer cells, while those featuring a large number of hydroxy groups showed higher cytotoxic activity.

Natural products such as the lamellarins are often valued for their cytotoxic properties for use as anticancer drugs. Capon, however, comments, "Our investigation reaffirms the view that non-cytotoxic natural products can exhibit valuable biological properties that allude to both an ecological advantage and a pharmacological potential....

Ref : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/asia.201101049/abstract;jsessionid=D96AD6C21A9E2EAF7D966C0743768A2A.d01t03