Neuropharmacology News and Research

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Biomedical engineers develop new method for delivering drugs to specific neurons

Biomedical engineers have developed a way to deliver drugs to specific types of neurons in the brain, providing an unprecedented ability to study neurological diseases while also promising a more targeted way to treat them.

6 Apr 2017

Gene that helps form trauma-related memories can be manipulated to prevent PTSD, study finds

A specific gene that helps form memories from traumatic events can be manipulated -- and in doing so may actually help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study led NYU Langone Medical Center that recently published in Neuropharmacology.

13 Feb 2017

Study looking for toxicity markers in smokers who replace tobacco for e-cigarettes seeks volunteers

The first study to closely follow toxicity markers in smokers who replace tobacco for e-cigarettes is seeking volunteers.

2 Feb 2017

Researchers uncover how stress hormone prevents digestive enzymes from damaging pancreas

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have uncovered the mechanism by which the stress hormone FGF21 keeps digestive enzymes from damaging the pancreas.

18 Jan 2017

Viral infection during pregnancy affects maternal care and can trigger depression in offspring

A viral infection in a pregnant woman not only affects her subsequent ability to provide maternal care but can also trigger depression in her offspring, which can then even extend into the next generation as a result of changes to genetic mechanisms in the brain.

15 Dec 2016

UC Irvine study shows how YHS effectively treats different forms of pain

Root extracts from the flowering herbal plant Corydalis yanhusuo, or YHS, has widely used for centuries as a pain treatment. Yet few studies have investigated how it works on different forms of pain, and little is known about its molecular mechanisms.

14 Sep 2016

SCIEX and QPS Holdings enter collaboration to establish the BioBA solution for bioanalysis of biologics

SCIEX, a global leader in life science analytical technologies, and QPS Holdings, LLC (QPS), a leading global full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO), today announced a collaboration to advance Hybrid LBA –LCMS, a workflow for routine biologics quantification. Under the agreement, QPS Holdings will deploy the SCIEX BioBA Solution, the first end-to-end and most complete solution for bioanalysis of biologics.

6 Apr 2016

Researchers develop new painkiller as strong as morphine but not addictive

Researchers at Tulane University and Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System have developed a painkiller that is as strong as morphine but isn't likely to be addictive and with fewer side effects, according to a new study in the journal Neuropharmacology.

29 Jan 2016

Small differences in specific genetic variant could alter nicotine consumption

Nicotine is an addictive substance and genetic factors are known to play a role in smoking behaviors. Recently, a team of researchers at Penn State and the University of Colorado determined how small differences in a particular region of the mouse genome can alter nicotine consumption.

11 Jan 2016

Yale researchers reveal why chronic overeating tied to increased risk of depression

Chronic overeating and stress are tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety, and in a new study, Yale researchers explain why that happens and suggest a possible solution.

22 Dec 2015

Protein aggregates as harmful as neurodegenerative-disease-related proteins, shows study

Scientists at the forefront of cutting-edge research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have shown that the mere presence of protein aggregates may be as important as their form and identity in inducing cell death in brain tissue.

20 Nov 2015

Treating insomnia through a CBT device? An interview with Dr Ebrahim

Insomnia refers to a clinical condition that is characterised by one or more of the following – difficulty initiating sleep and/or maintaining sleep and/or waking up too early AND associated with symptoms the next day such as sleepiness, lethargy, loss of concentration.

16 Nov 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

Promising drug candidate for chronic intractable itch

If you have an itch, you have to scratch it. But that’s a problem for people with a condition called “chronic intractable itch,” where that itchy sensation never goes away—a difficult-to-treat condition closely associated with dialysis and renal failure.

28 Sep 2015

Drug addiction expert uncovers molecular mechanisms that contribute to addiction resistance

Growing up in West Virginia, Jill Turner saw firsthand the kind of havoc that drug addiction can wreak. "I had a lot of friends who had very promising lives and promising careers ahead of them," the assistant professor in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy says, "but they ended up either overdosing or going to jail for drug-related stuff. It's one of the reasons I went into drug addiction research."

22 Jul 2015

New study finds that intellectual pursuits can buffer the brain's reward system against drug dependence

Challenging the idea that addiction is hardwired in the brain, a new UC Berkeley study of mice suggests that even a short time spent in a stimulating learning environment can rewire the brain's reward system and buffer it against drug dependence.

15 Jul 2015

Deuterium-containing sigma-1 agonist demonstrates anti-seizure, anti-inflammatory effects in TBI model

Research results published in the Journal of Neurotrauma and conducted by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) as part of a collaboration with Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. showed that a novel deuterium-containing sigma-1 agonist invented at Concert, called C-10068, demonstrated anti-seizure and anti-inflammatory effects in a preclinical model of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

24 Mar 2015

Study finds that reformulated OxyContin forces some drug abusers to switch to heroin

A reformulation of OxyContin that makes it harder to abuse has curtailed the drug's illicit use. But some 25 percent of drug abusers entering rehab said they still abused the prescription painkiller despite package labeling that emphasizes its abuse-deterrent properties, new research indicates.

12 Mar 2015

Experts discuss therapeutic potential of medical cannabis in a symposium organized by MUHC

While debate about recreational marijuana use continues, researchers are investigating the effectiveness of cannabis for treating pain, spasticity, and a host of other medical problems. In a symposium organized by the McGill University Health Centre as part of the 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting held this week in San Jose, California, world-renowned experts from North America and the U.K. share their perspectives on the therapeutic potential of medical cannabis and explore the emerging science behind it.

16 Feb 2015

Different antidepressants may affect pregnant women differently

About 15 percent of women in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders and depression during their pregnancies, and many are prescribed antidepressants. However little is known about how early exposure to these medications might affect their offspring as they mature into adults.

23 Dec 2014