Med-Chemist : "Quintessential Medicinal Chemistry"
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
In continuation of my update on Valproic acid...
New research suggests brain tumor patients who take the seizure drug valproic acid on top of standard treatment may live longer than people who take other kinds of epilepsy medications to control seizures. The research is published in the August 31, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.....
Ref : http://www.neurology.org/content/75/24/2229.abstract?sid=49b511a0-d597-4598-865c-297439b6eb39
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Heat in Chili Peppers Can Ease Sinus Problems, Research Shows
In continuation of my update on the usefulness of Casaicin...
We know that, Capsicum annum contains capsaicin, which is the main component
of chili peppers and produces a hot sensation. Capsaicin is also the
active ingredient in several topical medications used for temporary pain
relief. It is approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
and is available over the counter.
Now researchers lead by University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, have come up with an interesting finding about Capsicum annum. As per the claim by the researchers a nasal spray containing an ingredient derived from hot chili peppers (Capsicum annum) may help people "clear up" certain types of sinus inflammation. Researchers add that, study which showed that participants who used a nasal spray with Capsicum reported a faster onset of action or relief, on average within a minute of using the spray, than the control group and the spray is safe and effective on non-allergic rhinitis.
Interestingly, this is the first controlled trial where capsaicin was able to be used
on a continuous basis to control symptoms. It is considered a
significant advance, because of the fact that in the previous trials the ingredient was too hot to administer without anesthesia.
Ref : http://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206%2811%2900383-8/abstract
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Medical engineers develop sensor chip to monitor cancerous tumors
A team of medical engineers headed by Prof. Bernhard Wolf at the TUM Heinz Nixdorf Chair of Medical Electronics have now developed a sensor chip that can be implanted close to a tumor. The sensor chip measures the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the tissue and wirelessly transmits this information to a receiver carried by the patient. The receiver forwards the data to the patient's doctor, who can then monitor the tumor's development and arrange for an operation or therapies such as chemotherapy. The tumor is thus continually monitored and the patient does not have to visit the practice or hospital as frequently for check-ups.
Researchers claim that, sensor chip has already passed laboratory tests with cell and tissue cultures. The main challenge for the researchers was developing a sensor that functions entirely autonomously for long periods of time. The sensor must continue to function and deliver correct values even in the presence of protein contamination or cell debris. It also has to be “invisible” to the body so that it is not identified as a foreign object, attacked and encapsulated in tissue.
We designed the sensor chip to self-calibrate to a set dissolved oxygen concentration at measurement intervals," explains engineer and project manager Sven Becker.....
More....
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Yale scientists synthesize huperzine A to combat Alzheimer's
Scientists at Yale University have developed the first practical method to create a compound called huperzine A (see structure below) in the lab. Huperzine A is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alkaloid compound found in the plant firmoss Huperzia serrata. Huperzine A is also an Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, which has a mechanism of action similar to donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine. In the US, Huperzine A is sold as a dietary supplement for memory support. The botanical has been used in China for centuries for the treatment of swelling, fever and blood disorders. Clinical trials in China have shown it to be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and enhancing memory in students.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
FDA Approves Zelboraf - Potent New Melanoma Drug
Plexxikon Inc., a member of the Daiichi Sankyo Group, today announced
that applications for market approval for vemurafenib ( PLX4032/RG7204, see below structure)
for the treatment of metastatic melanoma have been submitted to the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency
(EMA). The company had
Phase 2 and 3 trials (BRIM2 and BRIM3) that evaluated vemurafenib in patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive melanoma, as determined by the cobas 4800 BRAF V600 Mutation
Test.
Earlier this year, the company reported positive data from an
interim analysis of BRIM3 which showed that the study met the
pre-specified criteria for co-primary endpoints for BRIM3 for
progression-free survival and overall survival, and that the safety
profile was generally consistent with the previous vemurafenib studies.
Based on these results, the data safety monitoring board for the trial
recommended early termination of the trial and allowed
dacarbazine-treated patients to immediately cross over to vemurafenib
treatment. BRIM2 results reported earlier showed a 52 percent confirmed
response rate, with tumor shrinkage in the majority of patients,
consistent with results from earlier studies.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Green tea shows promise against two types of tumors, HHS
In continuation of my update on green tea
Researchers lead by Dr. Thomas Smith at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
and his colleagues at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, have found that a compound found in green tea shows
great promise for the development of drugs to treat two types of tumors
and a deadly congenital disease.
Dr. Smith and his colleagues discovered
that two compounds found naturally in green tea are able to compensate
for this genetic disorder by turning off GDH in isolated and when the
green tea compounds were administered orally. The Smith lab also used
X-ray crystallography to determine the atomic structure of these green
tea compounds bound to the enzyme. With this atomic information, they
hope to be able to modify these natural compounds to design and develop
better drugs.
Interestingly, two other research groups
have validated and extended these findings to demonstrate that blocking
GDH with green tea is very effective at killing two different kinds of
tumors; glioblastomas, an aggressive type of brain tumor, and tuberous
sclerosis complex disorder, a genetic disease that causes non-malignant
tumors to grow on a number of organs.
EMA has accepted Pfizer's regulatory submissions for review of two investigational compounds crizotinib and bosutinib
European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted Pfizer's regulatory
submissions for review of two investigational compounds crizotinib, an
oral first-in-class anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with previously treated ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and bosutinib for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase.
Crizotinib
Bosutinib
Dr. Andreas Penk, president of Pfizer Oncology Europe, claims that,
"With the EMA submissions for crizotinib and bosutinib, we are one step closer to potentially bringing two promising agents to patient populations in areas of significant unmet medical need"......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)