Pharmacology News and Research

Latest Pharmacology News and Research

Modulating GPCR signaling could help delay multiple age-related diseases

Researchers have outlined a bold plan for slowing aging by targeting one of the body's most important cellular communication systems.

22 Oct 2026

Study identifies potential treatment target for aggressive lung tumors

A UTHealth Houston-led team has identified a promising new avenue to curb the growth and spread of tumors associated with hard-to-treat lung and other cancers.

20 Oct 2026

$52 million study to investigate why some infants develop lasting lung infections

A Michigan Medicine-led research consortium has secured approval for up to $52 million in federal funding to launch a multicenter study examining why some young children recover fully from viral lower respiratory tract infections while others develop severe illness or lasting problems such as asthma.

20 Oct 2026

Simple medical card game reduces preoperative anxiety in children

Preoperative anxiety affects about 60% of children and is linked with poorer cooperation at anesthesia induction, greater postoperative pain, and maladaptive behavioral changes.

20 Oct 2026

Asian study shows ADHD disability burden peaks in early adolescence

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder and imposes a lifelong burden extending beyond core symptoms to academic achievement, quality of life, and long-term disability.

20 Oct 2026

Light-activated experimental opioid eliminates dangerous side effects

Opioid painkillers are some of the strongest analgesic medicines, but they are also the riskiest owing to a range of side effects, including addiction.

15 Oct 2026

FDA approves new Parkinson’s drug pioneered by UVA scientists

The federal Food and Drug Administration has approved a new Parkinson's disease drug that was based on research by UVA Health scientists.

13 Oct 2026

Study finds both the liver and brain drive distinct symptoms of rare genetic epilepsy

A recent study from Johns Hopkins Medicine reveals that both the liver and brain contribute pathways to differing symptoms of the same rare inherited disorder.

9 Oct 2026

High expression of CTDNEP1 gene linked to poorer kidney cancer survival

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer, accounting for about 90% of kidney cancers.

7 Oct 2026

Study identifies RGS4 protein as potential target for chronic pain

Chronic pain can continue long after an initial injury. When a nerve outside the brain and spinal cord (a peripheral nerve) is damaged and does not heal properly, it keeps sending constant pain signals.

6 Oct 2026

UCLA scientist develops new way to map cellular metabolism

Nutrition advice is everywhere. Eat more protein. Cut back on sugar. Get more fiber. But beneath all that advice is a surprisingly basic gap in our understanding: Scientists still have a limited view of what happens when specific nutrients reach individual cells inside the body.

6 Oct 2026

Dr. GPCR and Eurofins Discovery join forces to advance GPCR drug discovery

Dr. GPCR, the global knowledge hub for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) research and education, today announced a strategic partnership with Eurofins Discovery, the drug discovery services side of the same group behind the Eurofins DiscoverX products many in the community already know.

From Eurofins Discovery 5 Oct 2026

As GLP-1 drugs become more complex, their effects on the heart are getting harder to predict

A brief report reviews emerging GLP-1 receptor co-agonists that also target GIPR, GCGR, and other receptors, examining their metabolic benefits alongside known and predicted cardiac effects. The authors highlight substantial species differences, warning that mouse heart studies may fail to predict responses in human cardiac tissue and that many proposed cardiac effects still require direct testing.

24 Sep 2026

Obesity disrupts ILC2 metabolism through increased fatty acid uptake

A group of innate immune cells, known as group 2 lymphoid cells (ILC2), are essential for maintaining a stable metabolism in adipose tissue. Obesity significantly impairs the number and function of ILC2 cells, leading to the progression of metabolism-related inflammation.

23 Sep 2026

Screening approved medicines reveals potential treatments for preterm labor

Shajila Siricilla, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Jennifer Herington, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, led a team that systematically screened 1,191 FDA-approved drugs and found that several candidates met criteria supporting further evaluation as potential treatments for preterm labor.

23 Sep 2026

Early childhood BMI trajectories predict later cardiometabolic health risks

Childhood obesity predicts later cardiometabolic disease, but single-time weight measures may miss dynamic growth information.

23 Sep 2026

Waist-to-height ratio reliably detects chronic liver disease risk in children

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is now the most common chronic liver disease in children and adolescents, closely mirroring the global rise in childhood obesity.

22 Sep 2026

Researchers create virtual cells to accelerate drug discovery efforts

Mitochondria - tiny structures that convert nutrients into energy - are often depicted as discrete kidney bean-shaped objects.

18 Sep 2026

Eight-weekly HIV injections prove more effective than daily tablets for young people

Young people living with HIV manage their condition better when their antiretroviral therapy is given by injections every eight weeks, rather than in the form of daily tablets, according to the results of a trial in Africa led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

17 Sep 2026

Shatavari may affect more than hormones, and the gut could help explain why

A review in Nutrients examined how bioactive compounds in Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) may influence cognitive health through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, estrogen-related signaling, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter regulation. Evidence from computational, cellular, animal, and limited human studies suggests several plausible biological pathways, but key questions remain about bioavailability, brain exposure, dosing, and clinical efficacy.

16 Sep 2026