Conclusion

     Through this blog it was achieved the main objective of sharing articles and updates that relate in some way with pharmacology. The main purpose was to show the importance of this field and important applications that flow from it in our daily lives. This was achieved using technology as the primary medium, because without technology none of this would be possible. Today we live in a world where it is crucial to go in search of solutions to our illnesses and any other problems. We live in a society that keeps going and evolves through the changes that occur in all aspects, seeking to improve the quality of life of human beings.

     It is regrettable that many diseases remain today without treatment, with much pain and other severe effects that can cause death in many cases. As science has evolved looking to improve, scientists have committed errors which we regret today, like the emergence of new diseases as a result of malpractice. This is why we must focus on doing things right and handle any type of material we are using (drugs, chemicals, technology devices ...) with due caution and taking the required safety measures. This is essential for our life, being that a malpractice can put our lifes and others in danger. 

       I hope your navigation through my blog has served you as a news media to the uplift of some current developments and to reflect about the care that we must take when managing medication, whether we ingest them or work with them appropriately.

Images: http://www.butler.va.gov/images/Prescription_Safety_1.jpg

https://dghealth.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/smw-12.jpg

http://www.infocusmagazine.org/6.3/images/hs_drug_safety.jpg

"Nano" drug that prevents kidney toxicity

     The main problem of drugs taken orally is that their distribution can not be specific, that is, it flows through the system of the body through the bloodstream. Once a drug passes from the stomach into the intestines, it goes to the liver and then to the rest of the body through the bloodstream. This causes toxicity to the kidneys when ingested because the drugs slow down the kidney function, causing high levels of substances in the blood, that should be eliminated by the kidneys. To prevent kidney toxicity a "nano" drug that prevents the drug from reaching the kidneys was created.

     Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid with other scientists have designed a "nano" drug to prevent kidney toxicity. This is possible because when ingested  it accumulates in the spleen, liver and lung. One of the authors of this research, Dolores R. Serrano, indicates that it is ideal to get the greatest possible amount of drug to the "target" organs to reduce this way the amount in places where it produce toxicity. The creation of the "nano" drug was achieved using nanoparticles GCPQ (˂250 nanometers). There are incorporated antifungal drug amphotericin B to these nanoparticles, which are used to treat certain conditions intravenously, being that orally it is toxic to other organs.

     An important advantage of this "nano" drug is preventing hospitalization and adverse effects caused by administering a drug intravenously. This is a very positive aspect, as there are patients who can not stand needles, just like hospitalization is also of little liking. This "nano" drug can be administered with any drug without affecting the kidneys, which is excellent news, because the kidneys have an important function in our body: eliminates toxic agents and recover the nutrients our body needs to regulate internal fluids.

Credits:

http://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Disenan-un-nanomedicamento-oral-que-evita-la-toxicidad-en-los-rinones

Image: 

http://www.catalunyavanguardista.com/catvan/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/nanomedicamento_edited-1728x800_c.jpg

Drugs with the ability to regenerate neurons to reverse the damage of multiple sclerosis

What is multiple sclerosis?

Main  symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Normal nerve vs a damaged nerve by
Multiple Sclerosis

     It is a disease caused by a damage to the myelin sheath, which is a protective layer around the neurons of the brain and spinal cord. The damage of the sheath causes nerve impulses diminish or stop, causing loss of balance, muscle spasms, weakness, among other symptoms. This disease mainly affects women between 20 and 40 years old, but can be diagnosed at any age. The sheath is damaged when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system, which means, cells attack themselves by treating natural antigens produced by the body as if they were strangers. 

Signal from brain in a normal neuron vs a damaged
myelin signal

Several United States institutions conducted research on 727 drugs to find the effect for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. They discovered that clobetasol and miconazole, which are used to treat athlete's foot and eczema, has the ability to regenerate damaged brain cells for multiple sclerosis in mice. Previously, they knew there existed stem cells in the nervous system that repair the damage caused by this disease. However, they did not know how to guide them. Paul Tesar, one of the main authors of the study, said that his focus was to find a drug that catalyze the body's own stem, thereby replacing damaged cells by multiple sclerosis cells. 

      With this study, coauthor Miller says that this finding represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis. It is expected from the patients to be checked through clinical trials. For now we have tested the effect of drugs on human stem cells and it has been seen a similar response in mice.
   It is unfortunate that there are not known definite causes for this disease, but its being said to be likely that those who have a family history of multiple sclerosis, or live somewhere where the disease is more common, are more prone to suffer from it. These drugs are expected to open their doors for the cure of multiple sclerosis, as currently there are only treatments that slow the progression of the disease.

Credits:

http://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Dos-farmacos-cutaneos-regeneran-neuronas-danadas-por-esclerosis-multiple

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/ency/article/000737.htm

Images from:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Symptoms_of_multiple_sclerosis.svg/220px-Symptoms_of_multiple_sclerosis.svg.png

http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/illustration_myelin.jpg

http://www.dailytimesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Multiple-Sclerosis-pill1.jpg

http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/illustration_myelin.jpg

http://multiplesclerosis.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/global_2x.png

Creating a carrier peptide for the treatment of brain diseases

     Researchers have found many ideal drugs to treat diseases of the central nervous system, but at the end they are being discarded. This is because these drugs are not able to cross the blood brain barrier that protects the brain. As a consequence the concern of creating a molecule able to cross the cellular barrier and transport the molecules to the brain arose. This triggered the creation of a "vehicle" built from amino acids. They are the building blocks of proteins which confer to the cell structure the transportation and storage of nutrients. With this innovation that was created from amino acids, it is expected to facilitate the treatment of brain diseases which they have not yet been able to find the cellular barrier that hinders the introduction of molecules to the brain.

     A team of chemists at IRB Barcelona developed the small peptide with 12 amino acids "vehicle". Along with other researchers, they are looking for a more aggressive treatment for brain cancer in adults (glioblastoma), an inherited neurodegenerative disease (Friedreich's ataxia) and soon they will work for a type of childhood brain cancer. This "vehicle" has the advantage of lasting a period of 12-24 hours in the blood, it does not cause the immune system response and its toxicity is low. The leader of this research, Meritxell Teixidó says that 20% of humanity will need at some point in their lives a treatment directed to the brain. This major project would also lead to many pharmaceutical industries to "fish" efficient molecules to feed into the "vehicle" of amino acids to treat a brain disease.

Amino acids in a primary protein structure. 

     This innovation has been patented by the authors of this "vehicle", to ensure possible future developments with this application ... With this innovation it is clear that every day new doors open for treatment of countless diseases that have failed to be confronted. The support they give each other as institutions is helping the daily advances, as this is an essential part of a job for everyone. 

Credits:

http://www.aminoacido.eu/aminoacidos/que-son-los-aminoacidos.html

http://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Una-ambulancia-peptidica-supera-la-barrera-que-impide-a-los-farmacos-llegar-al-cerebro

Images:

http://thecapitalpost.com/images/brain-381.jpg

http://biology.drupalgardens.com/media/31/download/amino-acid-structure.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Protein_primary_structure.svg/2000px-Protein_primary_structure.svg.png

Anti-inflammatory properties of compounds of microalgae

Seaweeds

     It is common that our body becomes inflamed due to an infection, this being a reddish stain which causes pain when touched. This inflammation is caused by increased blood in the affected area, which may be caused by internal or external factors. According to Robert Menendez in the article Seaweeds as source of new anti-inflammatory agents, "Inflammation is a necessary process by which the body rejects several harmful stimuli. Unfortunately, in some circumstances inflammation markedly persists without attaining its foremost objective and then inflammatory cells and mediators inundate organ systems. In consequence, inflammation is transformed in a pathological process that damages normal host cells contributing to a development of several diseases. Under these circumstances, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs is recommended to ameliorate this injurious process. ". To alleviate the inflammation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and steroides are used, but its harmful effects have opened the doors to other anti-inflammatory methods. Within that, it was found the efficient response of microalgae as an antiinflammatory agent.

Cultivation of Microalgae 

     Microalgae are microscopic photosynthetic organisms (2-200μ). They have a wide application in the energy, food and pharmaceutical industry. An important property is that they are able to reduce or eliminate inflammation. There are several types of algae: red, brown, green, yellow, blue green and brown. The anti-inflammatory properties of seaweed varies with the components of each classification of algae. For example, the marine red algae has components that are able to reduce inflammation in the brain cortex and obstruct the damaging effects of inflammation in the brain. The group has evaluated FARMOLAP compounds isolated from microalgae to confirm the anti-inflammatory responses in tested models. These compounds have demonstrated an ability to prevent diseases like cancer caused by inflammatory processes in the gut or skin. The use of these compounds has been patented by the University of Seville, the ITC and the BTM company. It is expected to rise this patent pharmaceutical development in preventing colon cancer or skin, or to prevent relapse.

Microalgae

     This news shows the progress pharmacology can have if the effect of the components of microalgae in cancer prevention as shown. The prevention and cure of cancer is one of the most expected treatments to be found around the world.

    In this video you will see some species of algae and the cultivation of them. 

Video retrieved from:  CNR National Research Institute and ISE- Institute of Ecosystem Study.

Credits:
http://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Encuentran-propiedades-antiinflamatorias-en-compuestos-de-microalgas
http://whatwhyguide.com/salud/medicina-alternativa/propiedades-antiinflamatorias-de-algas.php
http://ama.redciencia.cu/articulos/19.06.pdf
Images:
https://www.ecuacionnatural.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/algas-marinas.jpg
http://www.alimentarnos.com/media/mediacontent/post/image/png/micro%20algas.png
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRZVDul9XGztv8YTiSmhr0pP4_mR9Px6yaG6rmM3T0BbuqRrr48Hw
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldGz8kJEMk0

Drug treatment to reduce obesity

     Researchers at the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have shown that partial pharmacological inhibition of PI3K enzyme reduces body weight and physiological manifestations of metabolic syndrome, particulary in diabetes and hepatic steatosis (fatty liver). This experiment was conducted with obese mice and monkeys, which showed no side effects or toxicity. The PI3K enzyme is responsible for achieving balance in the production of cellular and biochemical components of cell nutrients spending. The enzime favors and induces cell division and growth and ultimately can  cause cancer. That is why many cancer researchers have worked with the intention of finding a drug that inhibits this enzyme to find a treatment for cancer.

     To test the effect of this enzyme the researchers administered small samples of inhibitor  CNIO-PI3ki to obese mice over a period of five months. After two months, the mice had lost 20% of their body mass. Afterwards their weight remained stable, following a high-fat diet. Another effect was the improvement of physiological symptoms and hepatic steatosis. Elena Lopez, from CNIO, explains that steady weight loss is very dangerous in obesity cases, so it is expected to achieve an alteration in the balance between undertaking and spending of nutrient, favoring the spending of energy. 

     If through more research, they are able to find a way to alter the balance of nutrients encouraging spending, it will be of great help to the obesity problem which most of the Americans face. This problem is due to several factors, one being genetic heritage. It is often difficult to work with and achieve a decrease in obesity because the body needs to store nutrients. That is why this treatment would be of great impact, because there are many people who will benefit from it. Furthermore, not only obesity reduces, this will reduce diabetes. This is a disease that just like obesity, affects a large portion of the American population. It is caused when the body can not regulate sugar levels in the blood, which is treated with a strict and rigid diet. There are three types of diabetes: diabetes type I, diabetes type II and gestational diabetes, which have very harmful effects on the health of the individual. Type I diabetes can not be prevented, however, type II diabetes can be prevented or delayed if you have a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
    For the previously mentioned reasons and many others, we hope we can find an efficient treatment for reducing obesity among the population. Like diabetes there are many more diseases that are caused by obesity. Meanwhile we should promote the correct nutrition in the busy lifestyle of people, since  malnutrition has a big effect due to the time factor.

Video retrived from: https://youtu.be/NjpzSDa7Wro

Credits:

http://www.agenciasinc.es/Noticias/Un-tratamiento-farmacologico-reduce-la-obesidad-en-ratones-y-monos

Images:

http://i1.wp.com/clinicadenutricionbiodieta.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/raton.jpg
http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/article_thumbnails/reference_guide/prescription_weight_loss_drugs_ref_guide/375x321_prescription_weight_loss_drugs_ref_guide.jpg

Two ways of a more confident handling of pills

Weekly Pill Organizer- Moments of the day

     Many of us have a medicine cabinet in our bathroom, where we store all medications we have needed, so over time it fills more and more of medicines. We also have the medicines we take daily, either for the treatment of a medical condition or simply to supplement our daily diet with the necessary vitamins. Usually, if more than two daily medications need to be ingested, which should not be forgotten, the most convenient way is to use a "Weekly pill organizer". With this organizer we can place the medicines that we need in the days and hours that we must take them. This way, we keep track  of the consumption of our medications. Sometimes we have our personal agenda so full and we forget certain things like taking our medicine. For this reason it is recommended to store this pill organizer in a place where you can easily look at, afor example, the kitchen, which we visit several times a day.

     When we plan a trip we want to take the least amount of items, so we pack our pills in small bags or we use these pills organizers staples on a trip. In my case, to save space in the kit, my mother discarded packaging of medicines and puts them altogether in a bag inside their plastic packaging, which does not identify the drug, only the active ingredients and some warnings. This makes my life complicated when I am going to get an allergy pill and I do not know how to difference it from the headache pills.

    Technology always thinks in us. That's why the platform www.drugs.com created a pill identifier. How does it work?... it consists of only three easy steps to identify a pill.

   1) Identify the enumeration in the tablet, the color and the shape thereof. (As shown in image #x)

(Note: All Rx and OTC drugs in the US are required by the FDA to Have an imprint If your pill has no imprint it Could Be a vitamin, diet / herbal / energy pill, illicit drug or foreign...)

   

   
2) Go to: http://www.drugs.com/imprints.php.Then write the information of the tablet in the search.

   3) Compare the tablet with the picture illustrated to ensure that the appearance is similar and you get it!

Weekly Pill Organizer 

     These two tools will help us to not forget to take a dose of a pill and keep track of what we take. With the "Weekly pill organizer" we make sure we organize our drugs in the hours or days corresponding, depending on our necessities. In case you forget if you took the dosis or not, you have the security of verifying if the pills stay in the organizer. On the other hand, if we have problems identifying the name of a pill we have the facility to access a pill finder to submit the information of the pill and know the name, active ingredients and other important information about the identity of the pill. Using these tools helps us verify our medicines before consuming them, thus preventing an accident from an equivocal dose or ingesting a double dose of the same medicine by mistake.

Credits:
http://www.drugs.com/imprints.php
Images from:
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07/68/55/72/0007685572069_500X500.jpg
http://www.oncallinternational.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Pills.jpg
http://www.healthaccessories.com/sc_images/products/463_image.jpg

Misuse of Antibiotics

     On March 27, 2015 the White House announced a five-year plan. It aims to combating the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacterias. Some of these become resistant to antibiotics, so they want to prevent that bacteria’s from becoming deadly by this action. Saying that there are bacterias that become resistant to certain antibiotics means that these bacterias develop the ability to inhibit the effects of the antibiotic in the body, thus making the drug  inefficient for its intended purpose. When transformed, the bacteria survives the antibiotic, thereby multiplying and causing more damage.

Non-resistant Bacteria vs Drug Resistant Bacteria

     The Centers for Disease Control and Disease Prevention (CDC) estimated that antibiotic-resistant bacterias cause each year in the United States 23,000 deaths and 2 million illnesses. These are very significant figures to start searching so we can combat the threat of these bacterias in the United States and other countries. It has been shown that the misuse of antibiotics causes bacterias to become resistant to them, so it is expected an wherever antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily.

     "Critics say it would be preferable for the White House to go further, especially in terms of the antibiotics used in animals that are afterwards processed meat for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already asked many pharmaceutical companies to eliminate the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in animals, but advocacy groups have asked the agency to also halt other uses of antibiotics in animals , like the prevention of diseases when animals are kept in cramped conditions."

    By prohibiting the antibiotic supplementation to animals, the contagion also slows down in the humans that eat them, for the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics causes bacterias to become resistant to it. It is not easy to create an antibiotic to fight bacteria, since any antibiotic has to change once the bacteria becomes resistant. In fact, this new antibiotic will need to be very different from the one initially used.

References:
Pictures:[1]:http://recend.apextech.netdna-cdn.com/images/tn/0/0/1200/596/900/447/2015/03/27/bacteria-reuters-bbc.jpg
[2]: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/SiteCollectionImages/topics/antimicrobialresistance/1whatIsDrugResistance.gif

Multivitamins: Poorly Manufactured

     According to the database Cerner Multum, Inc., multivitamins are a combination of many different vitamins that are normally found in foods and other natural sources. The newspaper “El Nuevo Dia” reported an investigation about the Quality of Vitamin Products in Puerto Rico. It revealed that some multivitamins sold locally are not manufactured properly, which poses a risk to consumer health. Many multivitamins do not comply with federal regulations, neither with clinical studies with high value.

     Investigators found that some of the tested products did not have the vitamins that they said they contained. They did not meet the identity, purity and composition which was indicated on its label. Also they found the presence of metals which are dangerous to the brain and our organs: causing skin irritation, kidney damage, anemia, among others. Another situation was the finding of increased amounts of iron per liter: 13,000mg per liter, when the allowed quantity is only 18 mg per liter. It is expected an amendment by the government of Puerto Rico and the Federal Food and Drug Administration to regulate multivitamins in the same way that prescription drugs are regulated.

      This news is important because it alerts us, as consumers, to choose multivitamins or other specific "over the counter" drugs carefully. As responsible consumers we should research the different drug brands and how to choose the most reliable drugs, whether brand name drugs or generic. It is unfortunate that there is no such strict regulations for this type of medication, so it is up to us consumers to watch what we ingest, because it is our health what is at stake.

If you want to read more about this you can acces online to this notice: http://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/nota/vitaminasquesonunpeligro-2020176/

                     
Credits:
-Pictures from: http://www.howitworksdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/iStock_000008873262Medium.jpg, http://www.oliveronews.com/uploads/2/6/4/4/26440126/5136922_orig.jpg

Drugs that slow aging

     Day after day, researches are being conduced in finding solutions to social situations and in pursuit of an improved quality of life. On March 9, 2015 the journal Aging Cell revealed a study conducted by the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Mayo Clinic and others, which demonstrated in animals the ability to significantly delay aging. This research opens the door for increased life expectancy of human beings.

     Professor Paul Robbins with Professor Laura Niedernhofer awaits the development of a safe treatment with the studied drug that will: alleviate signs of weakness, improve heart function and increase life expectancy. It is expected from the drug components to work effectively against disorders and diseases related to aging, therefore improving the quality of life of people.

     The clinical study was conducted with the combination of two senolytics agents: dasatinib and quercetin. These agents are more efficient together; they kill senile cells, those which stop dividing and increase with age, accelerating the aging process. By killing these cells the lifespan of mice in the experiment increased, so it is expected that the same mechanism will be performed in humans.

     It's amazing how we challenge nature with our progress in trying to have a better quality of life. This study will continue developing in animals until we find a way to handle this cellular mechanism in humans. Who would not like to extend their life a little? ... These "needs" of human beings is why scientific field broadens more and more.

Video retrived from: https://youtu.be/J2GPtZhos5Y

If you want to read more about this research you can access online: 

    (PDF)   http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12344/pdf

    

Credits: 
-Picture from: http://cdn.business2community.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Slow-Down-Aging.jpg
-http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/2015/20150309agingcell.html 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Generic Drugs

      We know that brand name drugs are expensive. This is why it have been developed many generic drugs with the same active ingredients of the popular brands. This has boomed because it is a relief to the consumer's pocket. Some prefer not to trust them, but others choose them because of the low price.

Why these medications are so inexpensive?

     For a generic drug is released to the market, the drug must exist for brand name drug before. This medicine tends to be very expensive, since they have processing costs that are required for preclinical and clinical researches and promotional campaigns. For this they have 10 years of marketing exclusivity, during which time they can recover the costs invested. After those 10 years laboratories authorized health requirements use the same active ingredients to produce very similar to trade name drug, but at a lower cost, since the development of this product does not carry the costs of research already carried the brand name drugs. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of the use of generics:

Benefits

- Price: The main reason why the consumption of these drugs is preferred, since the price implies a saving of 30% to 50%.

- Safety and effectiveness: All generics are reliable, since active ingredients containing spent 10 years or more at the market.

- Quality: Very assured, since it requires legislation of the Health Authority for marketing authorization.

Disadvantages

- Availability: No availability even of all generic medications popular brand.

- Appearance: The color, size and taste may vary.

- Different excipients: That is, the additional ingredients that help active function effectively.

      I agree to the use of these generic drugs made providing excellent quality to the consumer and safety. Furthermore, with the economic situation we face daily, is not bad find other options to give us an aid to our pockets, if they have the same function as a brand name drug. Some people prefer to consume brand name drugs for their confidence in the market. In my opinion, if you can pay for these drugs is fine, but if you can not do it, there are generic as another option. It is very important to counsel patients about the use of such drugs, because often wary because they are unaware that the efficacy and safety of the drug is the same and many do not have the facility to pay a popular brand product.

     Developments such as these make society progresses, for the purpose of creating generic medications cause a well both the consumer and the producer. This opens the availability of drugs for a variety of consumers: those with economic facilities that can defray brand names drugs and those without economic facilities seeking equivalents of the medicines that they need.

Welcome to "The Weekly Dose"!

     Because science progresses and we can not stay behind ... 

     In this blog I will be posting articles and news on innovations of crucial importance in the field of pharmacology, which is the science that studies and analyzes the interaction between substances and living organisms. The importance of pharmacology is very remarkable and you will notice it throughout the development of this blog.

     This blog will help us recognize the progress that leads us day after day to a better quality of life. Furthermore, we invite you to reflect on this health field. Your opinion is very important, so you have the freedom to express and discuss your views on the issues raised.