PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New targeted drug helps smokers stub it out

2011-03-18
(Press-News.org) Researchers working in a research project within the Academy of Finland's Research Programme on Substance Use and Addictions have been developing a targeted drug that could aid in smoking reduction therapy. The new drug slows down the metabolism of nicotine, which would help smokers to cut down their smoking.

Nicotine is absorbed rapidly through the lining of the mouth but most readily through the lungs, from where it quickly passes through the body and into the brain. Once the nicotine reaches the liver, it is metabolised by an enzyme called CYP2A6. Preliminary studies by the Canadian partner of the research project have shown that inhibitors of the nicotine-metabolising CYP2A6 enzyme can help smokers curb the need to smoke. Unfortunately, current CYP2A6 inhibitors are not viable options for anti-smoking therapy, as they involve too many adverse effects.

"We're working on developing a CYP2A6 inhibitor, a targeted drug that would only be effective in specific parts of the body. Thankfully, we have a very clear picture of the structure of CYP2A6, and we'll be able to use computer-aided modelling methods to design molecules that will bind specifically to the target without disturbing other functions in the body. We've now finished our four-year project and have discovered several molecules of an until-now-unknown structure. Along the way, we've gained new insights into how the molecules bind to the active centre of the CYP2A6 enzyme. However, it'll take a good while – and money – before these molecules can be developed into a targeted drug," says Hannu Raunio, the principal investigator of the research project and Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Eastern Finland.

Traditional anti-smoking therapy has long been focused on smoking cessation. At present, there are a wide variety of treatments available to help smokers quit. Nicotine, buproprion and varenicline are among the most common drugs used in the treatment of smoking addiction. The idea behind pharmaceutical nicotine products is to relieve and prevent withdrawal symptoms so as to pave the way for smoking cessation. However, such forms of treatment are often unsuccessful, which has led to suggestions that new methods are needed, methods that would help in smoking reduction. It is this type of targeted drug that Raunio's project is developing.

INFORMATION:

More information: Professor Hannu Raunio, University of Eastern Finland, Faculty of Health Sciences, tel. +358 40 5200 202, firstname.lastname(at)uef.fi

Academy of Finland Communications
Communications Specialist Leena Vähäkylä
tel. +358 9 7748 8327
firstname.lastname(at)aka.fi

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Green sludge can protect groundwater from radioactive contamination

Green sludge can protect groundwater from radioactive contamination
2011-03-18
Radioactive waste decaying down at the dump needs millions of years to stabilize. The element Neptunium, a waste product from uranium reactors, could pose an especially serious health risk should it ever seep its way into groundwater – even 5 million years after its deposition. Now, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have shown the hazardous waste can be captured and contained. The means? A particular kind of green goop that occurs naturally in oxygen-poor water. Bo C. Christiansen is a geochemist at the University of Copenhagen who specializes in "green rust". ...

Give Up For Lent and Be Abroad This Time Next Year

2011-03-18
With the cost savings of giving something up for Lent likely to reach GBP57.37 by Easter Sunday, Lloyds TSB Savings believes that people may consider prolonged or permanent periods of abstinence to enable them to meet long-term financial goals. Of the 66% making a lifestyle change, a third (30%) would like to sell unwanted possessions on eBay, rising to almost half (48%) of 18 to 24 year olds, but decreasing to as few as one in five (19%) in Scotland. One quarter (25%) would like to shop less, 22% to start cycling or walking to work and cutting back on going out for ...

Studies on heart disease and stroke prevention overlook ethnic groups: Study

2011-03-18
TORONTO, Ont., March 17, 2011 — Major clinical studies that evaluate prevention strategies for heart disease and stroke fail to consider a participant's ethnicity, a factor that can more than double the rate of death in some groups, according to research led by St. Michael's Dr. Joel Ray. The study, published online in the Quarterly Journal of Medicine, reviewed 45 major clinical trials on prevention strategies. Researchers found that only 1 in 4 studies reported on the ethnicity of participants. None included information about whether a participant was an immigrant. ...

Researchers discover possible biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma

2011-03-18
(Boston) – Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, have identified a potential new biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma. The novel cell screening method used in the study also clarifies the process behind tumor metastasis and may allow the identification of biomarkers for other aggressive cancers. The findings now appear online in Cancer Research. According to the American Cancer Society melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer and one in 55 people will be diagnosed with it during their ...

Study indicates vitamin A plays key role in the human body

2011-03-18
Grand Rapids, Mich. (March 17, 2011) – In a recently-published study mapping the structure and function of the so-called "orphan" nuclear receptor TR4, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators suggest that Vitamin A may play a more direct role than was previously known in certain physiological functions including sperm cell formation and the development of the central nervous system. Scientists had previously determined that Vitamin A derivatives such as retinal and the retinoic acids are involved in physiological functions in the human body. But there has ...

Self-administered light therapy may improve cognitive function after traumatic brain injury

Self-administered light therapy may improve cognitive function after traumatic brain injury
2011-03-18
New Rochelle, NY, March 17, 2011—At-home, daily application of light therapy via light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed on the forehead and scalp led to improvements in cognitive function and post-traumatic stress disorder in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a groundbreaking study published in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/pho Margaret Naeser, PhD, LAc, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston University School of Medicine, and colleagues ...

Getting healthy: When does prediction help people change their habits?

2011-03-18
If you ask people how much they plan to exercise, they'll exercise more—but only if that's a personal goal, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. "When people have set for themselves targets about how much they should engage in a behavior (say, if the behavior is how much to exercise per week), asking them to predict whether they will exercise in the next week makes them think about what they think they should do," write authors Pierre Chandon (INSEAD), Ronn J. Smith (University of Arkansas), Vicki G. Morwitz (New York University), Eric R. Spangenberg, ...

Cranky? On a diet? How self-control leads to anger

2011-03-18
People who make an effort to exert self-control are attracted to aggressive art and public policy appeals, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. They also don't appreciate messages that nag them to control their behavior. "We set out to examine whether exerting self-control can indeed lead to a wide range of angry behaviors and preferences subsequently, even in situations where such behaviors are quite subtle," write authors David Gal (Northwestern University) and Wendy Liu (University of California San Diego). "Research has shown that exerting ...

Fuz is essential for craniofacial and tooth development

2011-03-18
San Diego, Calif., USA – Today, during the 89th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 35th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, lead researcher Z. Zhang will hold an oral presentation on a study titled "Fuz is Essential for Craniofacial and Tooth Development." Fuz has been identified as a planar cell polarity effector gene and shown to be involved in ciliogenesis. The objective of this study was ...

Virtual conversation simulator found beneficial for adults with autism

Virtual conversation simulator found beneficial for adults with autism
2011-03-18
New Rochelle, NY, March 17, 2011—Simulated interactions in which adults with autism converse with a virtual partner may help them develop better social interaction skills, according to a novel study presented in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/cyber More than half of individuals diagnosed with autism have normal intellectual capabilities yet struggle in social and work environments because of their severely ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Global advances and future trends in cervical cancer research from 2013 to 2022

Inspired by Spider-Man, a lab recreates web-slinging technology

Applied Microbiology International’s 2024 Honorary Fellowship goes to Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu

Pitt scientists validate new lab test platform for blood biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease

No bolts about it: New technology improves structural strength

Medical professionals must lead the fight against climate misinformation

Should doctors be suspended for unlawful climate activism?

Extreme rainfall linked to heightened risk of death

New research highlights the overlooked dangers of subtle and covert abuse in intimate relationships

Snowflake dance analysis could improve rain forecasts

ASPB welcomes Hong Ma as Society President

Can advanced AI can solve visual puzzles and perform abstract reasoning?

West Health-Gallup poll: Healthcare may be sleeper issue in U.S. presidential campaign

UC Irvine scientists track and analyze lofted embers that cause spot fires

Uncovering pandemic inequities

Microbiome researcher awarded NIH Transformative Research Award to pursue personalized treatment for gut diseases

Teresa Bowman, Ph.D., named Chair of Developmental & Molecular Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Legal system fails to protect people from malicious copyright cases at the cost of sexual privacy, study warns

Ancient climate analysis reveals unknown global processes

Gene therapy shows long-term benefit for patients with a rare pediatric brain disease

Do people with MS have an increased risk of cancer?

New research on octopus-inspired technology successfully maneuvers underwater objects

Newly discovered Late Cretaceous birds may have carried heavy prey like extant raptors

Bat species richness in San Diego, C.A. decreases as artificial lights, urbanization, and unconserved land increase, with Townsend's big-eared bat especially affected

Satellite data shows massive bombs dropped in dangerous proximity to Gaza Strip hospitals in 2023

Predatory birds from the same fossil formation as SUE the T. rex

Sexist textbooks? Review of over 1200 English-language textbooks from 34 countries reveals persistent pattern of stereotypical gender roles and under-representation of female characters across countri

Interview with Lee Crawfurd, Center for Global Development, United Kingdom

Scientists show accelerating CO2 release from rocks in Arctic Canada with global warming

The changing geography of “energy poverty”

[Press-News.org] New targeted drug helps smokers stub it out