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Read our latest stories on the people and scientific innovations making a difference in patients’ lives.
Matching Drugs to Diseases: Advances in Targeting JAKs Leading to New Autoimmune Therapies
Janus kinases (JAKs) named after Janus, the Roman two-faced god of duality, are enzymes with two “faces,” or domains, that play a key role in signal transduction of cytokines, the molecular messengers that trigger the inflammatory and immune responses. Scientific discoveries related to JAKs in recent years have led to novel treatments for autoimmune diseases and myeloproliferative disorders, a group of conditions where the bone marrow produces too many blood cells. In the early 2010s, the...
Using DNA ‘Barcodes’ in the Search for New Drugs
Organic lettuce, endangered sharks, and now, new medicines. In recent years, DNA ‘barcoding’ technology has exploded as a tool to quickly identify and track plants, animals and the tiniest of molecules. Just as barcodes are used to identify products at the grocery checkout, DNA ‘barcodes’ are small bits of DNA code that can be used to quickly recognize and monitor materials. In pharmaceutical labs around the world, scientists are using DNA-encoded compound libraries to screen billions of...
A Drug Safety Scientist Inspired by the Migrant Farmers of California
Sometimes it only takes one inspiring educator to set you on your career path. As an undergrad at UC Davis in the late 1970s, Jon Cook had a charismatic professor who sparked his interest in the field of toxicology, which studies the safety effects of drugs and chemicals on living organisms. “This guy was huge; he was 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 300 pounds and played football in college. He was so jovial and had so much enthusiasm,” says Cook, Chief Toxicology Scientist at Pfizer’s Groton...
Inside the Toxicology Lab: From Guardians of the Genome to Bottleneck Breakers and Beyond
When it comes to creating new medicines, the stories that most often reach the public are the discoveries of new biological pathways or novel compounds. But in the nearly decade-long journey a medicine takes to get from the lab to patients, drug safety studies are an integral, though often behind-the-scenes, part of the process. We recently spoke with Pfizer scientists who work in various areas of toxicology to learn more about the critical jobs they do to get new medicines to patients. Here are...
Flower Power: How an Ingredient in Beer Could Fight an Epidemic
It’s no secret that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a variety of health benefits, but other types of plants may also play a role in keeping disease at bay. Research suggests that the humble flower of Humulus lupulus, known colloquially as hops, might punch well above its weight when it comes to fighting a set of common maladies. The power of plants Scientists are still working to determine exactly the ways in which consuming plants is good for us. A significant amount...
How Quantum Physics and AI is Disrupting Drug Discovery & Development
When a new molecule is a potential drug candidate, scientists want to learn as much about the molecule as possible; its shape, size and other properties down to the electron level. To do this they have traditionally used a technique called X-ray crystallography. In a multi-step, time-consuming process the compound is converted into crystal form and then an X-ray beam is shot through it to determine its 3-D structure.In recent years, scientists have begun using a computer modelling technique...
The Goldilocks of the Elements: Why Iron Levels Have to Be ‘Just Right’
Without iron, there wouldn’t be life as we know it. The element is an essential part of the biologic operating manual for organisms from single-celled bacteria up to complex human beings. But iron also has a dark side: Because of its capacity to turn molecules into free radicals that can damage cell membranes and DNA, too much iron can be as dangerous as too little. In the right amounts, iron is as important as the air we breathe. That’s because the element plays a crucial role in moving...
What an Artificial Eating Machine Can Teach Us About Medications
The old saying “you are what you eat” may not be strictly accurate, but like many a timeworn adage, it holds a kernel of truth. For example, while eating a high-fat diet may not necessarily make people fat, the amount and type of fat in their diets still influences their overall health. When people think about the relationship between eating and health, however, they rarely consider how their dietary habits could affect the medications they take. Many common medications come in tablet, capsule...
How Does It Feel to Have Sickle-Cell Disease?: When Listening to Patients Gives Researchers Clues
Molecular biologists certainly have the insider’s view of a disease. They know (or try to find out) how it operates in the body on a cellular level. But the mechanisms of a particular condition aren’t the only thing that matters to these scientists. Starting “outside,” say by learning more about what it’s like to have a disease, and how people generally cope with symptoms such as pain, can help a researcher develop treatments that truly address patients’ needs. Debra Pittman, a research fellow...
In Search of a Better Biomarker: Why Studying Liver Enzymes Matters for Drug Safety
If you’ve ever had a liver function test as part of an annual physical, you may know that the exam screens for certain biomarkers, like liver enzymes in the blood. If these substances are found to be elevated, it may mean that you have a liver disease or have been exposed to some medications or environmental toxins. Liver biomarkers are also important tools in the drug development process. Before a drug can be tested in humans, it must be studied for potential safety risks, including the liver...
Quantifying Matters of the Heart: Using Mathematical Modeling to Simulate Vital Organs
Songwriters, poets, and novelists have long tried to capture the intricacies of the heart. But it’s the quants who might finally do it. The Living Heart Project, initiated by the firm Dassault Systémes, is applying the advanced technology that the automotive and aerospace industries use to realistically simulate the heart. The project has solicited input from cardiovascular researchers, biopharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, regulatory agencies and practicing doctors to develop a model...
A Superbug Problem: When Routine Surgeries Turn Dangerous
You go in for an elective knee replacement surgery, hoping to be able to climb the stairs again without pain, and end up with more than you bargained for: a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus (also referred to as S. aureus, Staphylococcus, or staph infection.) S. aureus is a common bacterium found on the skin and in the nose that is usually harmless. This all changes if it enters the body through cuts and grazes. To compound this in recent years...
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