Pharmaceutics and Drug Design Commons^™

Fda Approval Of Etripamil For The Treatment Of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia, Kiley Devoll, Daniella Egbujor, Katy Grainger, Katherine Cook, Victoria Niese, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Andrew Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is characterized by sudden, brief, intermittent episodes that result in a heart rate of 150 to 250 beats per minute (bpm). PSVT is difficult to diagnose, making proper treatment challenging. According to the 2015 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) guidelines, current pharmacologic recommendations for PSVT include adenosine, verapamil, diltiazem, or nonpharmacologic vagal maneuvers.¹ These treatments each have a variety of adverse effects, contraindications, and dosing considerations, which highlight a need for novel therapies for the acute treatment and maintenance of PSVT.¹ The NODE-301 trial assessed the safety and …

Fda Approval Of Tradipitant: A Novel Approach To Motion Sickness Treatment, Haley Brown, Jennifer Cao, Allie Honigford, Leah Heitkamp, Sarah Hiett, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Manoranjan D'Souza

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Motion sickness is a prevalent neurophysiological condition affecting approximately one-third of the worldwide population, resulting from sensory mismatch and the brain’s internal model of motion. It is characterized by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and autonomic symptoms during exposure to actual or virtual motion, which may significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Current guidelines recommend the prevention and treatment of motion sickness through pharmacologic, herbal, and non-pharmacologic strategies. Scopolamine and first-generation antihistamines are effective pharmacologic options, while ginger has demonstrated some benefit in reducing symptoms as an herbal option. Non-pharmacologic interventions such as habituation training, behavioral techniques, and sensory strategies …

Quality Improvement (Qi) Project Aimed At Reducing Unnecessary Antibiotic Usage Among Older Adult Patients By Addressing Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing In Primary And Long-Term Care Settings, Pamela M. Thomas

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Antibiotic overuse among older adults remains a significant patient safety and public health concern. Recent national data indicate that approximately 30%–50% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions may be unnecessary, particularly for viral or self-limiting conditions (Chua et al., 2021). Antimicrobial resistance has been associated with more than 1.27 million deaths globally (Murray et al., 2022). This quality improvement project evaluated a multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship intervention in primary and long-term care settings. Baseline review of 167 antibiotic cases revealed 37.1% were inappropriate or questionable, and 28.7% lacked adequate diagnostic documentation. The intervention incorporated provider education, electronic health record decision-support tools, audit and …

2025 Novel Drug Approvals, Katherine Ghattas Pharmd, Amanda Rawa Pharmd

Transformative Medicine

The year 2025 marked another strong chapter in pharmaceutical innovation, with multiple novel therapies gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These approvals reflect continued progress in addressing unmet medical needs across a wide range of disease states. This article reviews the FDA’s 2025 novel drug approvals, spotlighting a few therapeutic advancements and emerging trends. A comprehensive table of all approved agents is provided, along with a focused discussion of four particularly impactful therapies: donidalorsen (Dawnzera), taletrectinib (Ibtrozi), delgocitinib (Anzupgo), gepotidacin (Blujepa), etripamil (Cardamyst). Each of these agents represents a step forward in its respective field and …

Receptor-Mediated Drug Delivery: Redefining Targeted Drug Conjugates In Oncology, Keon Niles Jafari, Charlene Chai, Shelby Kim, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Targeted drug delivery (TDD), specifically through targeting ligand–drug conjugates, has reshaped oncology by enabling selective delivery of cytotoxic payloads to cancer cells while minimizing uptake by normal tissues. A key approach relies on exploiting overexpressed cell surface receptors (CSRs) to enable selective uptake of drug conjugates via receptor-mediated endocytosis. This review delineates four clinically validated CSRs (HER2, Trop-2, Nectin-4, and SSTR2) with several FDA-approved drug conjugates. Furthermore, emerging CSRs (EGFR, DLL3, and keratin 1) that may support next-generation TDD platforms for cancer treatment are also highlighted. We discuss how CSR type, density on cancer cells, and its mechanism of endocytosis, …

Tumor Targeting With Peptide-Drug Conjugates: Showcasing Key Progress And Hurdles, Keykavous Parang, Thuy Do, Clare Dinh, Dorna Davanidavari, Max Foroughi, Troy Khong, Mahsa Moazen, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) are modular, targeted therapeutics composed of a homing peptide linked to a cytotoxic or modulating drug payload via a cleavable/non-cleavable linker. PDCs utilize peptide targeting to enhance the delivery of potent drugs to tumors, providing advantages such as superior tissue penetration, reduced immunogenicity, and simpler manufacture compared to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). A comparison of PDCs versus ADCs highlights that PDCs’ small size (~1-3 kDa) enables deeper tumor penetration and faster clearance, whereas ADCs (~150 kDa) benefit from prolonged circulation but suffer from limited tissue diffusion. This review surveys recent advances in PDC design and application. We discuss …

Evaluation Of Peptides And Peptide–Doxorubicin Conjugates Designed And Synthesized For Targeting Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Via Cell-Surface Receptors, Shih-Jing (Jane) Yao

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

A significant problem faced in oncology is the lack of chemotherapeutic agents that are tumor site-specific, resulting in reduced therapeutic efficacy and unintended infliction of harm to surrounding healthy tissues and cells that often lead to serious side effects. Current strategies being explored to circumvent this issue aim to refine delivery of  chemotherapeutic agents specifically to tumor sites, which may be achieved via conjugation of these agents to biomarker-specific ligands. This forms the foundation of ligand-targeted drug delivery. Among different breast cancers, treatment of the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype has been particularly challenging, largely due to the absence of …

Sglt2 Inhibitors In Cardio-Oncology: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Luigi Spadafora, Marco Bernardi, Gianmarco Sarto, Beatrice Simeone, Erica Rocco, Salvatore Carbone, Laura Adelaide Dalla Vecchia, Roberto Franco Enrico Pedretti, Valentina Valentine, Rachele Di Mario, Maurizio Forte, Giacomo Frati, Antonio Abbate, Michele Golino, Francesco Versaci, Mariangela Peruzzi, Pierre Sabouret, Giuseppe Biondi Zoccai, Sebastiano Sciarretta

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Background

According to available evidence, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) may confer cardioprotection in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Objectives

The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of SGLT2i on all-cause mortality and heart failure (HF) outcomes in this population.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Embase through August 2025 for studies of SGLT2i in adult patients with cancer. Random-effects models were used to pool effects for all-cause mortality and an HF composite (new-onset HF and/or HF hospitalization) in cancer patients >18 years. Meta-regression tested effect modification by beta-blockers, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, age, and …

Circulating Biomarker Results From A Phase 2 Study Of Seralutinib In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Robin Osterhout, Athénaïs Boucly, Raymond L. Benza, Richard N. Channick, Kelly M. Chin, Robert P. Frantz, Anna R. Hemnes, Luke S. Howard, Vallerie V. Mclaughlin, Olivier Sitbon, Jean-Luc Vachiéry, Rotham T. Zamanian, Richard Aranda, Matt Cravets, Zhaoqing Ding, Thao Duong-Verlé, David Mattola, Robert F. Roscigno, Ravikumar Sitapara, Lawrence S. Zisman, Jean-Marie Bruey, Hossein-Ardeschir Ghofrani

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

[Introduction] To the Editor: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by obstructive pulmonary arterial remodeling (1). Seralutinib, an investigational inhaled tyrosine kinase inhibitor, potently and selectively targets kinases relevant to PAH pathobiology including platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFR) α and β, colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor kit (c-KIT) (2). In preclinical models, seralutinib improved cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, reversed pulmonary vascular pathology and decreased right ventricular hypertrophy (3). In TORREY, a phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in PAH, seralutinib significantly reduced pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) after 24 weeks with good …

Longitudinal Patterns Of Urinary Biomarkers Of Placental And Renal Function In Pregnancy And Associations With Early Pregnancy Exposure To Phthalates And Replacements, Erin E. Mcnell, Danielle R. Stevens, Barrett M. Welch, Suzanne Fenton, Antonia M. Calafat, Julianne Cook Botelho, Elena Sinkovskaya, Ann Przybylska, George Saade, Alfred Abuhamad, Kelly K. Ferguson

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Phthalates and replacements are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that may interfere with early pregnancy processes such as placentation and renal adaptation. Placental and renal biomarkers may help examine these toxicologic mechanisms. This study aims to characterize longitudinal changes in urinary protein biomarkers of placental angiogenesis (sFlt-1, PlGF, sEng) and renal function (KIM-1, NGAL, nephrin), and investigate associations with early pregnancy exposure to phthalates and replacements. Among 291 participants from the Human Placenta and Phthalates prospective cohort, urinary metabolites of eight phthalates and two replacements were quantified at up to 2 time points from 12 to 15 weeks gestation. Repeated measures were averaged …

Selenium Nanoparticles As Versatile Delivery Tools, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Rajesh Vadlapatla, Ajoy Koomer, Kyle Yep, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have emerged as promising metal-based nanoparticles for drug delivery due to their unique physicochemical properties, intrinsic bioactivity, and biocompatibility. SeNPs offer a lower toxicity, higher bioavailability, and flexibility to be customized for surface chemistry compared to traditional selenium compounds. Advances in synthetic strategies, including chemical reduction, green biosynthesis, and surface functionalization with polymers, peptides, or ligands, have improved their stability, targeting capability, and circulation time. SeNP-based systems have demonstrated unique anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities, as they can function as drug carriers and active therapeutic agents. The surface of SeNPs has been functionalized with ligands such as …

Breastfeeding Safety Following Maternal Anesthesia: A Guideline Development, Megan Honea, Mary Johnson

Doctoral Projects

Recommendations regarding breastfeeding following maternal anesthesia are inconsistent and often not up to date with current best practice guidelines. Previous recommendations have led to mothers unnecessarily “pumping and dumping” breast milk has benefits for both mother and baby. These benefits include (a) increasing the infant’s access to colostrum, (b) encouraging mother-baby bonding, (c) improving the mother’s breastfeeding experience, (d) and providing significant health benefits to the infant. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a set of evidence-based recommendations that focus on mothers who desire to breastfeed following general anesthesia. These recommendations will highlight maternal- fetal transfer of …

Dual Membrane Receptor Degradation Via Folate Receptor Targeting Chimera, Zhen Wang, Zhixin Li, Jenny Högström, Hiroyuki Inuzuka, Rui Jing, Peiqiang Yan, Tao Hou, Yihang Qi, Daoyuan Huang, Jingchao Wang, Ting Wu, Xiaoying Shi, Bolin Liu, Taru Muranen, Dingpeng Zhang, Wenyi Wei

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Cancer drug resistance poses a significant challenge in oncology, often driven by intricate cross-talk among membrane-bound receptors that compromise mono-targeted therapies. We develop a dual membrane receptor degradation strategy leveraging Folate Receptor α (FRα) to address this issue. Folate Receptor α Targeting Chimeras-dual (FolTAC-dual) are engineered degraders designed to selectively and simultaneously degrade distinct receptor pairs: (1) EGFR/HER2 and (2) PD-L1/VISTA. Through modular optimization of modality configurations and geometries, we identify the “string” format as the most effective construct. Mechanistic studies demonstrate an ~85% increase in EGFR-binding affinity compared to the conventional knob-into-hole design, likely contributing to the improved efficiency …

Cbl Regulation Of C-Met Signaling In Corneal Epithelial Cells., Kate Elise Tarvestad Laise

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The cornea is the most anterior portion of the eye and permits light passage through to retina, allowing formation of a clear image as long as it remains healthy. If the cornea sustains damage, it creates and entrance for foreign body invasion, infection, and ultimately blindness in the immunocompromised eye. Healing the corneal tissue is critical for vision restoration and pain alleviation, as it is the most densely innervated tissue in the body. Growth factors and their cognate receptors are currently under investigation as tools to restore proper corneal physiology. We hypothesize that manipulating the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) /c-Met …

Surface Keratin 1, A Tumor-Selective Peptide Target In Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Shih-Jing Yao, Farideh Amirrad, Elmira Ziaei, Azam Saghaeidehkordi, Moom R. Roosan, Kiumars Shamloo, Ajay Sharma, Rachita K. Sumbria, Surya M. Nauli, Christopher G. Bunick, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Targeting drugs to cancer cells via overexpressed cell-surface receptors has emerged as an effective therapeutic strategy for several cancers. However, identifying cell-surface receptors that allow selective uptake of targeting ligands by cancer cells—while sparing normal cells—remains a challenge, especially for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks a well-defined receptor for targeted delivery. In this study, immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis revealed that human TNBC patient tissues have significantly higher levels of keratin 1 (K1) compared to normal breast tissues. Among TNBC tissues, grade 3 tumors showed significantly higher (threefold) K1 expression compared to grade 2 tumors. We analyzed human TNBC and normal …

Multidrug Resistance: Are We Still Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf, Abdulelah Alhazza, Adenike Oyegbesan, Emira Bousoik, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

After the era of multidrug resistance (MDR) against cytotoxic chemotherapy, the development of resistance against newly developed molecularly targeted drugs also seems inevitable. While the mechanisms involved in resistance against these two categories of anticancer drugs are different, the principles are similar: inherent resistance (also known as primary resistance) is a result of heterogeneity in cancer cells where a subpopulation of the cells do not show a favorable initial response to the drug, while acquired resistance (or secondary resistance), as the name suggests, is developed after repeated treatments due to the plasticity of cancer cells. Despite the introduction of a …

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Case Of The Broken Heart, Lilian Huynh, Kaylee Putney

Annual Research Symposium

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC), or "broken heart syndrome," is a rare cardiac condition causing temporary left ventricular dysfunction due to severe stress. Though the exact cause is unclear, it mimics myocardial infarction and can lead to cardiogenic shock. Current treatment lacks specific guidelines and relies on heart failure protocols. We report a case of a patient with TC-induced cardiogenic shock, likely triggered by emotional stress. She required vasopressors, a percutaneous intervention, an Impella device, and guideline-directed medication therapies. This case underscores the significance of establishing guideline optimizations for managing TC and cardiogenic shock.

The Short And Sweet On Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter Inhibitors And Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists In Heart Failure, Jose L. Batista, Tracy Makuvire, Jonathan D. Davis, Salvatore Carbone

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Heart failure (HF) affects 6 million people in the US, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant risk factor for HF. Since 2008, regulatory agencies have required cardiovascular safety trials for new T2D therapies, and these have consistently demonstrated the cardiovascular benefits of glucose-lowering drugs. Sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors (SGLTi) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs)/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events and deaths, regardless of diabetes status, and improve cardiorespiratory fitness. SGLTis, such as dapagliflozin and empagliflozin, benefit patients with reduced and preserved ejection fraction, significantly reducing HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths. The DAPA-HF and EMPEROR-Reduced …

Scaffolds With Spatiotemporally Controlled Growth Factor Delivery And Cyclodextrin-Enabled Antagonism Of Growth Factor Receptor Sequestration Promote Cutaneous Wound Healing, Jelena Marjanovic, Veronica Jurczuk, Lilian Valadares Tose, Yarixa Cintron Diaz, Francisco Fernandez Lima, Beatriz Abdo Abujamra, Sara Danker, Sinan Jabori, Devinder Singh, Jamie L. Burgess, Joshua Tam, Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Rivka C. Stone, Stephen C. Davis, Robert S. Kirsner, Marjana Tomic-Canic, Fotis M. Andreopoulos, Ivan Jozic

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Chronic wounds present a major burden to patients, health care professionals, and health care systems worldwide, yet treatment options remain limited and often ineffective. Although initially promising, growth factor-based therapies displayed limited and underwhelming effectiveness largely due to poor bioavailabilbioity and impaired receptor function within the chronic wound microenvironment. Here we demonstrate that chronic wounds exhibit elevated cholesterol synthesis, which disrupts growth factor signaling by sequestering receptors within lipid rafts. To address this, we developed a novel therapy combining growth factors with cyclodextrin in an ECM-mimetic scaffold, enabling localized cholesterol modulation and improved receptor accessibility. We demonstrate that this approach …

High-Throughput Drug Screening For Disease-Modifying Arthritis Therapy, Janapriya Vijayakumar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Current therapy for arthritis predominantly focuses on the symptoms rather than the underlying causes of disease progression. Thus, it is necessary to identify novel drugs which target the underlying molecular basis of such diseases. Using high-throughput cell-based drug screening, we screened 458 different compounds, narrowed down from 811 starting compounds from the NIH Mechanistic Set. We selected drugs from the Mechanistic Set following Lipinski's Rule of 5 to ensure optimal pharmacokinetic properties. The study used modified primary human chondrocytes (IIAM-PRG4Luc), which secrete a lubricin promoter-driven luciferase reporter. We use this luciferase expression as a proxy to measure lubricin, a compound …

Magnetic And Ph-Sensitive Dual Actuation Of Biohybrid Microswimmer Of Targeted Drug Release Suitable For Cancer Cell Microenvironment, Richa Chaturvedi, Yumin Kang, Yunji Eom, Sri Ramulu Torati, Cheolgi Kim

Center for Bioelectronics Publications

The chemotherapeutic agents most frequently used in cancer treatment often have limited effectiveness because of their low specificity for tumors and poor therapeutic performance. In addition to the aforementioned therapeutic challenges the drug delivery carriers conjugated with the drug encounter early detection and elimination from the immune system before arriving at the affected area continues to be a significant research focus among researchers. To address this prevalent issue, an effective approach has been developed that leverages the physiological differences between normal and tumor tissue to enhance the efficacy of anticancer drugs. This drug delivery system is designed based on pH-sensitive …

Investigation Of Lubricin-Stimulating Fda-Approved Compounds For A Disease-Modifying Osteoarthritic Drug, Swathi S. Menon

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects many people worldwide. Current methods of treatment are palliative, and no treatment exists to fully reverse or cure OA once it begins to progress. The discovery of a disease-modifying osteoarthritic drug (DMOAD) would increase the quality of life for millions and reduce the need for invasive procedures. Screening FDA-approved drugs ensures more promise due to their known safety profile and potential for faster translation to the clinic. The goal of this project was to conduct dose-response assays with FDA-approved drugs that have been shown to stimulate lubricin production in cells that mimic …

Association Of Prenatal Exposure To Phthalates And Phenols With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Misa Hayasaka, Diana Aboukhater, George Saade, Tetsuya Kawakita

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the association between prenatal exposures to phthalates and phenols and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth (PTB), small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth weight, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS:

This study analyzed data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes consortium, which harmonized longitudinal data on more than 30,000 pregnancies and 57,000 children from 69 cohorts across the United States and Puerto Rico. Pregnancy outcomes included PTB, SGA, and GDM, identified from medical records or self-reports. Generalized estimating equations models with Poisson distribution and robust variance were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs per interquartile …

Novel Micro-And Nanoformulations Of Paclitaxel For Targeting Metastatic Breast, Non-Small Cell Lung, And Pancreatic Cancers, Lobat Tayebi, Mehran Alavi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Nonlinear pharmacokinetics resulting from high lipophilic and low oral bioavailability, and hypersensitivity reactions and hyperlipidemia caused by formulation by Cremophor EL have limited clinical effectiveness of paclitaxel (Taxol). In this way, there is the critical necessity of innovative drug delivery systems (DDSs) to mitigate severe side effects and overcome clinical limitations of paclitaxel. In recent years, various micro- and nanoformulations, specifically polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) and lipid NPs, have been presented and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, other nanoformulations, such as polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), micelles, liposomes, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles, have shown promising results in vitro …

Protein Marker-Dependent Drug Discovery Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Ashley V. Huang, Yali Kong, Kan Wang, Milton L. Brown, David Mu

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers globally. Unfortunately, many patients with breast cancer develop resistance to chemotherapy and tumor recurrence, which is primarily driven by breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). BCSCs behave like stem cells and can self-renew and differentiate into mature tumor cells, enabling the cancer to regrow and metastasize. Key markers like CD44 and aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 (ALDH1), along with pathways like Wingless-related integration site (Wnt), Notch, and Hedgehog, are critical to regulating this stem-like behavior of BCSCs and, thus, are being investigated as targets for various new therapies. This review summarizes marker-dependent strategies for targeting …

Design, Synthesis, And Nmr-Guided Characterization Of A Targeted Covalent Inhibitor-Like Molecule Against Ivyp1 From P. Aeruginosa, Samuel Taylor Moore

Master's Theses

Multi-drug resistance poses a serious threat to future generations and historical antibiotic pipelines; consequently, the medical and economic burdens associated with treating multidrug-resistant bacteria are substantiated. In this context, P. aeruginosa (PA) emerges as one of the most significant healthcare challenges, being a leading cause of resistance-associated mortality worldwide. Despite modern efforts to combat these poor outcomes, drug-resistant cases continue to rise, and the need for novel antibiotic treatment is apparent. To this end, we investigated relevant resistance mechanisms and past antibiotic targets within PA, and in doing so, we identified relationships between peptidoglycan biology and a periplasmic protein, Inhibitor …

Synthesis Of Photocleavable Molecules For Neurological Applications, Nishal Madujith Egodawaththa Arachchilage Don

Theses and Dissertations

In recent biomedical research, the precise control of molecular dynamics through light activation has emerged as a powerful tool, particularly in the field of neurobiology. This approach involves the use of photocleavable cages or photoprotective groups (PPGs) that are chemically tethered to biologically active molecules such as neurotransmitters or calcium chelators. These cages remain inert until exposed to specific wavelengths of light, typically in the visible range, triggering the release of the active compound with high spatiotemporal precision.

For neurotransmitter systems, such as glutamate (Glu), which plays a critical role in synaptic transmission and memory formation, researchers have developed novel …

Evaluating Tirzepatide's Therapeutic Potential In Mitigating Obesity-Associated Comorbidities, Zaneh Kahook, Talaya Jones, Carina Bryan, Mayur Parmar

HCA-NSU MD Research Day

Objective: The study aims to explore the therapeutic potential of dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist tirzepatide in managing obesity and its associated manifestations, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and obesity-associated cancer (OAC) risks. Background: OSA and HS are the associated comorbidities noted in persons with obesity. Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of cancers, such as breast cancer. Reducing obesity could improve these conditions. Tirzepatide has demonstrated efficacy in reducing body weight, but its benefits in obesity-related conditions and cancer risk need further investigation. Methods: Data was synthesized from peer-reviewed literature on tirzepatide. Additional sources were identified …

The Impact Of Pdcd4, A Translation Inhibitor, On Drug Resistance, Qing Wang, Hsin-Sheng Yang

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Programmed cell death 4 (Pdcd4) is a tumor suppressor, which has been demonstrated to efficiently suppress tumorigenesis. Biochemically, Pdcd4 binds with translation initiation factor 4A and represses protein translation. Beyond its role in tumor suppression, growing evidence suggests that Pdcd4 enhances the chemosensitivity of several anticancer drugs. To date, numerous translational targets of Pdcd4 have been identified. These targets govern important signal transduction pathways, and their attenuation may improve chemosensitivity or overcome drug resistance. This review will discuss the signal transduction pathways regulated by Pdcd4 and the potential mechanisms through which Pdcd4 enhances chemosensitivity or counteracts drug resistance.

Molecular Targets For Breast Cancer Therapy, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

"Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women, and for a while, it surpassed lung cancer as the most diagnosed cancer, regardless of gender, in 2020 [1]. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy are still the first line of treatment, despite extensive research in molecularly targeted drugs. Therefore, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still known as the most challenging type for treatment due to the limited identified targets. Inherent and acquired resistance are still major hurdles in breast cancer therapy, which further highlights the importance of identifying new molecular targets in this battle. The inherent resistance of unresponsive …