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FDA approves Narcan nasal spray to prevent or reverse effects of opioid overdose

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan nasal spray, the first FDA-approved nasal spray version of naloxone hydrochloride, a life-saving medication that can stop or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription medications such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, as well as the illegal drug heroin.

18 Nov 2015

URI researcher developing novel vaccine delivery system to improve nicotine vaccine effectiveness

Xinyuan Chen, an assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences, joined URI's College of Pharmacy after seven years at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, bringing with him a $1.08 million career development grant from the National Institute of Drug Abuse and a $432,000 grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

18 Nov 2015

Bullies and victims at risk for eating disorders

Being bullied in childhood has been associated with increased risk for anxiety, depression and even eating disorders. But according to new research, it's not only the victims who could be at risk psychologically, but also the bullies themselves.

17 Nov 2015

Researchers identify molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain

The human brain may be the most complex piece of organized matter in the known universe, but Allen Institute researchers have begun to unravel the genetic code underlying its function. Research published this month in Nature Neuroscience identified a surprisingly small set of molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain and appear to be common to all individuals, providing key insights into the core of the genetic code that makes our brains distinctly human.

17 Nov 2015

Drug prevents onset of cognitive and cellular effects in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

In a novel animal study design that mimicked human clinical trials, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that long-term treatment using a small molecule drug that reduces activity of the brain's stress circuitry significantly reduces Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology and prevents onset of cognitive impairment in a mouse model of the neurodegenerative condition.

17 Nov 2015

MSU professor finds surprising results about drug use behaviors

Conducting an economic analysis of drug use is a particularly difficult endeavor, but for Michigan State University professor and economist Siddharth Chandra, it just meant taking a look at the history books.

6 Nov 2015

Tobacco cessation program needs to be more widely used for teens with substance abuse issues: Study

Substance abuse treatments that target main issues such as serious drug and alcohol addiction are not frequently being used to also wean adolescents from tobacco, a University of Georgia study finds.

4 Nov 2015

New study shows how obesity epidemic can impact social development of African-American children

The childhood obesity epidemic in the United States has been growing for decades. A new study focusing on African-American children shows how the issue can also impact social development. The University of Cincinnati study led by Laura Nabors, an associate professor of health promotion and education, will be featured in a poster presentation on Nov. 2, at the 143rd American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo, in Chicago.

3 Nov 2015

Public health policies targeting smokers may actually have opposite effect, study finds

Public health policies targeted at smokers may actually have the opposite effect for some people trying to quit, according to new evidence released today (Nov. 2).

3 Nov 2015

Interrupted sleep affects people's positive moods

A study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers suggests that awakening several times throughout the night is more detrimental to people's positive moods than getting the same shortened amount of sleep without interruption.

31 Oct 2015

Hand-held device makes blood draws easier, less painful

Blood drawing for patients with hard-to-reach veins just became a lot easier and less painful at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, thanks to a small hand-held device that lights up veins like a roadmap.

30 Oct 2015

Novel enzyme therapy offers possible treatment for cocaine overdose

A long-acting enzyme that rapidly and safely metabolizes cocaine in the blood stream is currently being investigated in animal models as a possible treatment for cocaine overdose.

30 Oct 2015

New research reveals regional variations in use of heroin and prescription painkillers

New research shows that drug abusers are not completely abandoning prescription opioids for heroin. Instead, many use the two concurrently based on their availability, according to a survey of 15,000 patients at drug-treatment centers in 49 states.

29 Oct 2015

Insulin plays a much stronger role in regulating release of dopamine

Insulin, the hormone essential to all mammals for controlling blood sugar levels and a feeling of being full after eating, plays a much stronger role than previously known in regulating release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers, new studies by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center show.

27 Oct 2015

ASA participates in government-led effort to address opioid epidemic

Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists announced their participation in a government-led effort to address the opioid epidemic, part of ASA's continued focus on patient safety and ongoing work to promote the safe use of prescription opioids. ASA is joined by a number of public and private sector partners in the efforts, which are being announced today by President Obama in Charleston, West Virginia.

22 Oct 2015

Brief counseling in primary care setting could help reduce risky drug use among patients

A few minutes of counseling in a primary care setting could go a long way toward steering people away from risky drug use -- and possibly full-fledged addiction, a UCLA-led study suggests.

19 Oct 2015

Head injuries, traumatic experiences and mental illness higher among severe polyinhalant users

Incarcerated youth who have suffered head injuries, traumatic experiences and mental illness diagnoses are more likely to abuse multiple inhalants, according to researchers at Georgia State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

14 Oct 2015

Pitt research team awarded NIH grant to study impact of substance abuse on adolescent brain development

A research team in the department of psychiatry, at the University of Pittsburgh, has been awarded a $5 Million National Institutes of Health grant to participate in a multi-site study focusing on the impact of adolescent marijuana, alcohol and other drug use on the developing brain.

9 Oct 2015

Smoking cessation medication 46% effective in women

The most effective prescription drug used to quit smoking initially helps women more than men, according to a Yale School of Medicine study. The study, published Oct. 7 by the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research, found that varenicline, marketed as Chantix, was more effective earlier in women, and equally effective in women and men after one year.

8 Oct 2015

Understanding HCV disease progression rates among PWID

The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a chronic blood-borne viral infection that affects an estimated 160 million people, or 2-3% of the population world-wide. Alarmingly, chronic HCV infection accounts for one-quarter of the cases of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). If HCV is left untreated, chronic liver disease will occur in 60-70% of the cases, cirrhosis in 5-20% of the cases, and 1-5% will die from decompensated cirrhosis or HCC.

6 Oct 2015

Drug Abuse News and Research

FDA approves Narcan nasal spray to prevent or reverse effects of opioid overdose

URI researcher developing novel vaccine delivery system to improve nicotine vaccine effectiveness

Bullies and victims at risk for eating disorders

Researchers identify molecular patterns that dominate gene expression in the human brain

Drug prevents onset of cognitive and cellular effects in mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

MSU professor finds surprising results about drug use behaviors

Tobacco cessation program needs to be more widely used for teens with substance abuse issues: Study

New study shows how obesity epidemic can impact social development of African-American children

Public health policies targeting smokers may actually have opposite effect, study finds

Interrupted sleep affects people's positive moods

Hand-held device makes blood draws easier, less painful

Novel enzyme therapy offers possible treatment for cocaine overdose

New research reveals regional variations in use of heroin and prescription painkillers

Insulin plays a much stronger role in regulating release of dopamine

ASA participates in government-led effort to address opioid epidemic

Brief counseling in primary care setting could help reduce risky drug use among patients

Head injuries, traumatic experiences and mental illness higher among severe polyinhalant users

Pitt research team awarded NIH grant to study impact of substance abuse on adolescent brain development

Smoking cessation medication 46% effective in women

Understanding HCV disease progression rates among PWID

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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