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neuropharmacology

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 2, 2023·6 min read

Promising Phase 2 Trial Results for Pembrolizumab in Metastatic Brain Cancer

A phase 2 clinical trial of pembrolizumab has shown promising results, with 42% of patients with metastatic brain cancer benefiting from the treatment. The trial found that pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy, was tolerated and demonstrated clinical benefit in patients with brain metastases.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 19, 2023·5 min read

Is the BCG Vaccine a Potential Shield Against Alzheimer’s?

A recent study suggests that the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, typically used to prevent tuberculosis, may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The study followed 6,467 individuals, over 15 years post their diagnosis with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Findings revealed patients who received the BCG vaccine had a 20% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and a 25% reduced risk of death.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 12, 2023·6 min read

Common Seizure Drug Blocks Deadly Brain Cancer Growth

Researchers discovered a promising new avenue for treating glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer. The study found that these tumors restructure connections in surrounding brain tissue, leading to cognitive decline. The team discovered that the drug gabapentin, commonly used to prevent seizures, could inhibit this activity in mice with glioblastoma.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 10, 2023·5 min read

Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab Shields Brain from Free-Roaming Amyloid Fibrils

Researchers have unveiled the structure of a unique amyloid beta protein associated with Alzheimer's progression. This protein forms small aggregates that disrupt brain function. Importantly, the study found that lecanemab, a recently FDA-approved Alzheimer's treatment, can neutralize these disruptive aggregates, hinting at its potential to slow down the disease's cognitive decline.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·May 8, 2023·5 min read

Eye-Opening Drug Discovery May Help Treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration

350 million people worldwide are believed to suffer from blinding diseases including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Researchers have discovered a small class of drugs, dubbed SREDs, that have the potential to treat a range of blinding diseases.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 3, 2023·3 min read

Alzheimer’s Drug Donanemab Slows Cognitive and Functional Decline in Phase 3 Study

Findings from a Phase 3 study show donanemab significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline in people with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. Donanemab met the primary endpoint of change, which measured measures cognition and activities of daily living such as managing finances, driving, engaging in hobbies, and conversing about current events, from baseline until 18 months on the integrated Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (iADRS). All secondary endpoints of cognitive and functional decline were also met and showed highly statistically significant clinical benefits with similar magnitude. Results suggest that people in the early pathological stage of Alzheimer's could be the most responsive to therapeutics targeting amyloid.

This shows a pill under an magnifying glass

Featured Neuroscience

·April 30, 2023·5 min read

Using Artificial Intelligence to Speed up Discovery of New Drugs

Experts see a bright future in the complementary use of artificial intelligence (AI) and structure-based drug discovery for drug discovery. Researchers explain how computational methods will streamline drug discovery by predicting which drug molecules are most likely to bind with the target receptor. The structure-based and AI-based approaches complement each other and can save time and money while yielding better results than traditional trial-and-error methods.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 29, 2023·5 min read

New Pill Regulates Appetite by Modulating Ghrelin Release

A new pill, called FLASH, has been developed to regulate appetite without drugs or invasive procedures. Researchers designed the pill to deliver electrical impulses to the stomach lining, modulating hunger-related gut hormones. The pill has been shown to affect the release of appetite hormone ghrelin in pig trials. FLASH could potentially treat various disorders related to metabolism and eating without pharmaceuticals or surgery. The researchers are now conducting additional preclinical testing and aim to start human trials within five years.

Brain Cancer Featured Neuroscience

·April 28, 2023·7 min read

Hope for Chemo Brain: Cannabis Could Improve Sleep and Cognitive Function in Cancer Patients

Cancer patients who use cannabis to address their symptoms have less pain, sleep better, and after a few weeks of sustained use, appear to think more clearly. This study is among the first to assess how cannabis bought over the counter at dispensaries affects cancer symptoms or chemotherapy side effects, and sheds light on the wide variety of products cancer patients use now that marijuana is legal in many states. The findings suggest that while some forms and dosages of cannabis for pain relief may impair thinking short-term, the treatment might improve cognition in the long run by reducing pain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 28, 2023·5 min read

Insomnia Drug Belsomra May Help Treat Opioid Addiction

A preclinical study found that suvorexant (Belsomra), an insomnia drug, could be a potential treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rats. If the results are replicated in humans, the drug could offer a promising treatment for the millions of people with OUD and reduce drug intake and block relapse.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 26, 2023·6 min read

Glaucoma Drugs Prevent Cognitive Impairment Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease in Mice

Drugs used to treat glaucoma and high-altitude sickness may prevent cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease in mice. The research indicates that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), promote the clearance of amyloid beta from blood vessels and glial cells, which control brain inflammatory processes, as well as reducing inflammation, restoring cell function and preventing cognitive impairment.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 24, 2023·4 min read

New Gel Treatment Wipes Out Deadly Brain Cancer in Mice – Offers Hope For Defeating Glioblastoma in Humans

Combining an anticancer drug with an antibody, researchers developed a novel gel that cured glioblastoma brain cancer in 100% of mouse models. The findings offer new hope in the fight against the most deadly form of brain cancer in humans. The gel triggers an immune response and, when the cancer was reintroduced, the immune system alone helped beat the cancer without additional medications.