Hot Topics in Pharmacology

Coronavrius Information

We are currently collating information related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 at a dedicated coronavirus information page. This contains details of ligands and targets relevant to COVID-19 and links to useful resources and publications.

Recent publications of interest recommended by NC-IUPHAR

2023: Mar | Feb | Jan
2022: Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | Jul | Jun | May | Apr

    March 2023


  • Autoregulation of GPCR signalling through the third intracellular loop.
     Sadler F, Ma N, Ritt M, Sharma Y, Vaidehi N, Sivaramakrishnan S. Autoregulation of GPCR signalling through the third intracellular loop. (2023)  Nature, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36890236]
  • Chemistry, structure and function of approved oligonucleotide therapeutics.
     Egli M, Manoharan M. Chemistry, structure and function of approved oligonucleotide therapeutics. (2023)  Nucleic Acids Res, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36881759]
  • Unsaturated bond recognition leads to biased signal in a fatty acid receptor.
     Mao C, Xiao P, Tao XN, Qin J, He QT, Zhang C, Guo SC, Du YQ, Chen LN, Shen DD et al.. Unsaturated bond recognition leads to biased signal in a fatty acid receptor. (2023)  Science,: eadd6220 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36862765]
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a neurodegenerative disorder poised for successful therapeutic translation.
     Mead RJ, Shan N, Reiser HJ, Marshall F, Shaw PJ. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a neurodegenerative disorder poised for successful therapeutic translation. (2023)  Nat Rev Drug Discov, 22 (3): 185-212. [PMID:36543887]
  • Methods and applications for single-cell and spatial multi-omics.
     Vandereyken K, Sifrim A, Thienpont B, Voet T. Methods and applications for single-cell and spatial multi-omics. (2023)  Nat Rev Genet,: 1-22 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36864178]

    • February 2023


  • Structural basis of efficacy-driven ligand selectivity at GPCRs.
     Powers AS, Pham V, Burger WAC, Thompson G, Laloudakis Y, Sexton PM, Paul SM, Christopoulos A, Thal DM, Felder CC et al.. Structural basis of efficacy-driven ligand selectivity at GPCRs. (2023)  Nat Chem Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36782010]
  • The case for standardizing gene nomenclature in vertebrates
    McCarthy FM, Jones TEM, Kwitek AE, Smith CL, Vize PD, Westerfield M, Bruford EA. The case for standardizing gene nomenclature in vertebrates. (2023)  Nature, 614 (7948): E31-E32. [PMID:36792746]
    VGNC. A Debate About Vertebrate Gene Naming.  https://blog.genenames.org, https://blog.genenames.org/vgnc/2023/2/16/A-Debate-About-Vertebrate-Gene-Naming
  • Uncovering the Heritable Components of Multimorbidities and Disease Trajectories: A Nationwide Cohort Study.
     Westergaard D, Jørgensen FH, Waaben J, Lademann M, Hansen TF, Cremers J, Ostrowsk SRi, Pedersen OBV, Danish Blood Donor Study Genomic Consortium et al.. Uncovering the Heritable Components of Multimorbidities and Disease Trajectories: A Nationwide Cohort Study. (2023)  medRxiv, Preprint. DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.23285642
  • Investigating the potential of GalR2 as a drug target for neuropathic pain.
     Rich K, Rehman S, Jerman J, Wilkinson G. Investigating the potential of GalR2 as a drug target for neuropathic pain. (2022)  Neuropeptides, 98: 102311 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36580831]
  • The evolving role of investigative toxicology in the pharmaceutical industry.
     Pognan F, Beilmann M, Boonen HCM, Czich A, Dear G, Hewitt P, Mow T, Oinonen T, Roth A, Steger-Hartmann T et al.. The evolving role of investigative toxicology in the pharmaceutical industry. (2023)  Nat Rev Drug Discov,: 1-19 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36781957]
  • Lies and Liabilities: Computational Assessment of High-Throughput Screening Hits to Identify Artifact Compounds.
     Alves V, Yasgar A, Wellnitz J, Bantukallu G, Rath M, Insilicall RB, Capuzzi S, Simeonov A, Muratov E, Zakharov A, Tropsha A. Lies and Liabilities: Computational Assessment of High-Throughput Screening Hits to Identify Artifact Compounds. (2023)  ChemRxiv, Preprint. DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-r78sj
  • AI-enhanced protein design makes proteins that have never existed.
     Eisenstein M. AI-enhanced protein design makes proteins that have never existed. (2023)  Nat Biotechnol,: 1-3 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36823357]
  • Pharmacological characterization of novel small molecule agonists and antagonists for the orphan receptor GPR139.
     Pallareti L, Rath TF, Trapkov B, Tsonkov T, Nielsen AT, Harpsøe K, Gentry PR, Bräuner-Osborne H, Gloriam DE, Foster SR. Pharmacological characterization of novel small molecule agonists and antagonists for the orphan receptor GPR139. (2023)  Eur J Pharmacol, 943: 175553 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36736525]
  • Pharmacogenomics: current status and future perspectives.
     Pirmohamed M. Pharmacogenomics: current status and future perspectives. (2023)  Nat Rev Genet, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36707729]
  • A 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel to prevent adverse drug reactions: an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised crossover implementation study.
     Swen JJ, van der Wouden CH, Manson LE, Abdullah-Koolmees H, Blagec K, Blagus T, Böhringer S, Cambon-Thomsen A, Cecchin E, Cheung KC et al.. A 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel to prevent adverse drug reactions: an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised crossover implementation study. (2023)  Lancet, 401 (10374): 347-356. [PMID:36739136]

    • January 2023


  • Degrader-Antibody Conjugates: Emerging New Modality.
     Hong KB, An H. Degrader-Antibody Conjugates: Emerging New Modality. (2023)  J Med Chem, 66 (1): 140-148. [PMID:36580273]
  • Metabolites as signalling molecules.
     Baker SA, Rutter J. Metabolites as signalling molecules. (2023)  Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36635456]
  • Structures of the entire human opioid receptor family.
     Wang Y, Zhuang Y, DiBerto JF, Zhou XE, Schmitz GP, Yuan Q, Jain MK, Liu W, Melcher K, Jiang Y et al.. Structures of the entire human opioid receptor family. (2023)  Cell, 186 (2): 413-427.e17. [PMID:36638794]
  • Discovery of High-Affinity Small-Molecule Binders of the Epigenetic Reader YEATS4.
     Londregan AT, Aitmakhanova K, Bennett J, Byrnes LJ, Canterbury DP, Cheng X, Christott T, Clemens J, Coffey SB, Dias JM et al.. Discovery of High-Affinity Small-Molecule Binders of the Epigenetic Reader YEATS4. (2023)  J Med Chem, 66 (1): 460-472. [PMID:36562986]
  • Structural basis of odorant recognition by a human odorant receptor.
     Billesbølle CB, de March CA, van der Velden WJC, Ma N, Tewari, del Torrent JCL, Li L, Faust B, Vaidehi N, Matsunami H, Manglik A. Structural basis of odorant recognition by a human odorant receptor. (2023)  bioRxiv, Preprint. DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.20.520951
  • A proteome-wide atlas of drug mechanism of action.
     Mitchell DC, Kuljanin M, Li J, Van Vranken JG, Bulloch N, Schweppe DK, Huttlin EL, Gygi SP. A proteome-wide atlas of drug mechanism of action. (2023)  Nat Biotechnol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36593396]

    • December 2022


  • Pharos 2023: an integrated resource for the understudied human proteome.
     Kelleher KJ, Sheils TK, Mathias SL, Yang JJ, Metzger VT, Siramshetty VB, Nguyen DT, Jensen LJ, Vidović D, Schürer SC et al.. Pharos 2023: an integrated resource for the understudied human proteome. (2022)  Nucleic Acids Res, [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1033
  • DrugCentral 2023 extends human clinical data and integrates veterinary drugs.
     Avram S, Wilson TB, Curpan R, Halip L, Borota A, Bora A, Bologa CG, Holmes J, Knockel J, Yang JJ et al.. DrugCentral 2023 extends human clinical data and integrates veterinary drugs. (2022)  Nucleic Acids Res, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36484092]
  • Hot Topics: FXR inhibition may protect from SARS-CoV-2 infection by reducing ACE2

    Comments by the Guide to Pharmacology Curation Team, University of Edinburgh

    This manuscript reports on comprehensive and compelling experimental evidence and translational data from a retrospective review of clinical registries, which show that pharmacological inhibition of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR; using the FXR antagonist ursodeoxycholic acid/UDCA) could be a novel intervention for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The in vitro and in vivo studies show that FXR antagonism reduces ACE2 expression, which subsequently reduces SARS-CoV-2's ability to infect tissues including lung, liver and gastrointestinal tract.. Read the full article on our blog

    • November 2022


  • GPCRdb in 2023: state-specific structure models using AlphaFold2 and new ligand resources.
     Pándy-Szekeres G, Caroli J, Mamyrbekov A, Kermani AA, Keserű GM, Kooistra AJ, Gloriam DE. GPCRdb in 2023: state-specific structure models using AlphaFold2 and new ligand resources. (2022)  Nucleic Acids Res, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36395823]
  • Colon tumour cell death causes mTOR dependence by paracrine P2X4 stimulation.
     Schmitt M, Ceteci F, Gupta J, Pesic M, Böttger TW, Nicolas AM, Kennel KB, Engel E, Schewe M, Callak Kirisözü A et al.. Colon tumour cell death causes mTOR dependence by paracrine P2X4 stimulation. (2022)  Nature, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36385525]
  • Beyond PI3Ks: targeting phosphoinositide kinases in disease.
     Burke JE, Triscott J, Emerling BM, Hammond GRV. Beyond PI3Ks: targeting phosphoinositide kinases in disease. (2022)  Nat Rev Drug Discov,: 1-30 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36376561]
  • Reclassifying plasmacytoid dendritic cells as innate lymphocytes.
     Ziegler-Heitbrock L, Ohteki T, Ginhoux F, Shortman K, Spits H. Reclassifying plasmacytoid dendritic cells as innate lymphocytes. (2022)  Nat Rev Immunol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36380022]
  • Structure determination of inactive-state GPCRs with a universal nanobody.
     Robertson MJ, Papasergi-Scott MM, He F, Seven AB, Meyerowitz JG, Panova O, Peroto MC, Che T, Skiniotis G. Structure determination of inactive-state GPCRs with a universal nanobody. (2022)  Nat Struct Mol Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36396979]

    • October 2022


  • Genenames.org: the HGNC resources in 2023.
     Seal RL, Braschi B, Gray K, Jones TEM, Tweedie S, Haim-Vilmovsky L, Bruford EA. Genenames.org: the HGNC resources in 2023. (2022)  Nucleic Acids Res, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36243972]
  • Identification of proteomic landscape of drug-binding proteins in live cells by proximity-dependent target ID.
     Kwak C, Park C, Ko M, Im CY, Moon H, Park YH, Kim SY, Lee S, Kang MG, Kwon HJ et al.. Identification of proteomic landscape of drug-binding proteins in live cells by proximity-dependent target ID. (2022)  Cell Chem Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36272407]

    • September 2022


  • Visualizing classification of drugs used in psychotic disorders: A 'subway map' representing mechanisms, established classes and informal categories.
     Zhou C, Nutt DJ, Davies SJ. Visualizing classification of drugs used in psychotic disorders: A 'subway map' representing mechanisms, established classes and informal categories. (2022)  J Psychopharmacol,: 2698811221115758 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:36045588]

    • August 2022


  • Environmental pharmacology-Dosing the environment: IUPHAR review 36.
     Connolly CN, Alexander SPH, Davies JA, Spedding M. Environmental pharmacology-Dosing the environment: IUPHAR review 36. (2022)  Br J Pharmacol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35975296]
  • Future directions for the discovery of natural product-derived immunomodulating drugs: an IUPHAR positional review.
     Wainwright CL, Teixeira MM, Adelson DL, Buenz EJ, David B, Glaser KB, Harata-Lee Y, Howes MR, Izzo AA, Maffia P et al.. Future directions for the discovery of natural product-derived immunomodulating drugs: an IUPHAR positional review. (2022)  Pharmacol Res, 177: 106076. [PMID:35074524]
  • The past, present, and future of antibiotics.
     Cook MA, Wright GD. The past, present, and future of antibiotics. (2022)  Sci Transl Med, 14 (657): eabo7793. [PMID:35947678]
  • Mitochondrial remodeling and ischemic protection by G protein-coupled receptor 35 agonists.
     Wyant GA, Yu W, Doulamis IP, Nomoto RS, Saeed MY, Duignan T, McCully JD, Kaelin Jr WG. Mitochondrial remodeling and ischemic protection by G protein-coupled receptor 35 agonists. (2022)  Science, 377 (6606): 621-629. [PMID:35926043]
  • Isoforms of GPR35 have distinct extracellular N-termini that allosterically modify receptor-transducer coupling and mediate intracellular pathway bias.
     Schihada H, Klompstra TM, Humphrys LJ, Cervenka I, Dadvar S, Kolb P, Ruas JL, Schulte G. Isoforms of GPR35 have distinct extracellular N-termini that allosterically modify receptor-transducer coupling and mediate intracellular pathway bias. (2022)  J Biol Chem,: 102328 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35933013]
  • Altiratinib blocks Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum development by selectively targeting a spliceosome kinase.
     Swale C, Bellini V, Bowler MW, Flore N, Brenier-Pinchart MP, Cannella D, Belmudes L, Mas C, Couté Y, Laurent F et al.. Altiratinib blocks Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum development by selectively targeting a spliceosome kinase. (2022)  Sci Transl Med, 14 (656): eabn3231. [PMID:35921477]

    • July 2022


  • The amyloid hypothesis on trial
    Lowe D. Faked Beta-Amyloid Data. What Does It Mean?.  In the Pipeline, https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/faked-beta-amyloid-data-what-does-it-mean
    Makin S. The amyloid hypothesis on trial. (2018)  Nature, 559 (7715): S4-S7. [PMID:30046080]
    Piller C. Blots on a field?. (2022)  Science, 377 (6604): 358-363. [PMID:35862524]
  • The role of free fatty acid receptor pathways in a selective regulation of TRPA1 and TRPV1 by resolvins in primary sensory neurons.
     Pyo HJ, An X, Cho H. The role of free fatty acid receptor pathways in a selective regulation of TRPA1 and TRPV1 by resolvins in primary sensory neurons. (2022)  J Cell Physiol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35802479]
  • Maresin 2 is an analgesic specialized pro-resolution lipid mediator in mice by inhibiting neutrophil and monocyte recruitment, nociceptor neuron TRPV1 and TRPA1 activation, and CGRP release.
     Fattori V, Zaninelli TH, Ferraz CR, Brasil-Silva L, Borghi SM, Cunha JM, Chichorro JG, Casagrande R, Verri Jr WA. Maresin 2 is an analgesic specialized pro-resolution lipid mediator in mice by inhibiting neutrophil and monocyte recruitment, nociceptor neuron TRPV1 and TRPA1 activation, and CGRP release. (2022)  Neuropharmacology, 216: 109189 [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35820471]
  • GPCRs steer Gi and Gs selectivity via TM5-TM6 switches as revealed by structures of serotonin receptors.
     Huang S, Xu P, Shen DD, Simon IA, Mao C, Tan Y, Zhang H, Harpsøe K, Li H, Zhang Y et al.. GPCRs steer Gi and Gs selectivity via TM5-TM6 switches as revealed by structures of serotonin receptors. (2022)  Mol Cell, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35714614]
  • Hyaluronic acid-GPRC5C signalling promotes dormancy in haematopoietic stem cells.
     Zhang YW, Mess J, Aizarani N, Mishra P, Johnson C, Romero-Mulero MC, Rettkowski J, Schönberger K, Obier N, Jäcklein K et al.. Hyaluronic acid-GPRC5C signalling promotes dormancy in haematopoietic stem cells. (2022)  Nat Cell Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00931-x [PMID:35725769]
  • GPR15L is an epithelial inflammation-derived pruritogen.
     Tseng PY, Hoon MA. GPR15L is an epithelial inflammation-derived pruritogen. (2022)  Sci Adv, 8 (24): eabm7342. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm7342 [PMID:35704588]
  • TRPV1 SUMOylation suppresses itch by inhibiting TRPV1 interaction with H1 receptors.
     Gao Y, Ma R, Weng W, Zhang H, Wang Y, Guo R, Gu X, Yang Y, Yang F, Zhou A et al.. TRPV1 SUMOylation suppresses itch by inhibiting TRPV1 interaction with H1 receptors. (2022)  Cell Rep, 39 (11): 110972. [PMID:35705043]
  • An exercise-inducible metabolite that suppresses feeding and obesity.
     Li VL, He Y, Contrepois K, Liu H, Kim JT, Wiggenhorn AL, Tanzo JT, Tung AS, Lyu X, Zushin PH et al.. An exercise-inducible metabolite that suppresses feeding and obesity. (2022)  Nature, 606 (7915): 785-790. [PMID:35705806]

    • June 2022


  • The LOTUS initiative for open knowledge management in natural products research.
     Rutz A, Sorokina M, Galgonek J, Mietchen D, Willighagen E, Gaudry A, Graham JG, Stephan R, Page R, Vondrášek J et al.. The LOTUS initiative for open knowledge management in natural products research. (2022)  Elife, 11. [PMID:35616633]
  • A Small-Molecule Oral Agonist of the Human Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor.
     Griffith DA, Edmonds DJ, Fortin JP, Kalgutkar AS, Kuzmiski JB, Loria PM, Saxena AR, Bagley SW, Buckeridge C, Curto JM et al.. A Small-Molecule Oral Agonist of the Human Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor. (2022)  J Med Chem, 65 (12): 8208-8226. [PMID:35647711]
  • Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity.
     Jastreboff AM, Aronne JL, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, Kiyosue A, Zhang S, Liu B, Bunck MC et al.. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity. (2022)  New England Journal of Medicine, Epub ahead of print. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2206038 [PMID:35658024]
  • Ketamine exerts its sustained antidepressant effects via cell-type-specific regulation of Kcnq2.
     Lopez JP, Lücken MD, Brivio E, Karamihalev S, Kos A, De Donno C, Benjamin A, Yang H, Dick ALW, Stoffel R et al.. Ketamine exerts its sustained antidepressant effects via cell-type-specific regulation of Kcnq2. (2022)  Neuron, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35649415]
  • Phenotypic drug discovery: recent successes, lessons learned and new directions
    Lowe D. Modern Phenotypic Drug Discovery.  In the Pipeline, https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/modern-phenotypic-drug-discovery
    Vincent F, Nueda A, Lee J, Schenone M, Prunotto M, Mercola M. Phenotypic drug discovery: recent successes, lessons learned and new directions. (2022)  Nat Rev Drug Discov, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35637317]

    • May 2022


  • Profiling the Human Phosphoproteome to Estimate the True Extent of Protein Phosphorylation.
     Kalyuzhnyy A, Eyers PA, Eyers CE, Bowler-Barnett E, Martin MJ, Sun Z, Deutsch EW, Jones AR. Profiling the Human Phosphoproteome to Estimate the True Extent of Protein Phosphorylation. (2022)  J Proteome Res, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35532924]
  • Neuroscience-based nomenclature of psychotropics: Progress report.
     Zohar J, Levy DM. Neuroscience-based nomenclature of psychotropics: Progress report. (2022)  Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 57: 36-38. [PMID:35077943]
  • Mapping cell types across human tissues
    Domínguez Conde C, Xu C, Jarvis LB, Rainbow DB, Wells SB, Gomes T, Howlett SK, Suchanek O, Polanski K, King HW et al.. Cross-tissue immune cell analysis reveals tissue-specific features in humans. (2022)  Science, 376 (6594): eabl5197. [PMID:35549406]
    Liu Z, Zhang Z. Mapping cell types across human tissues. (2022)  Science, 376 (6594): 695-696. [PMID:35549410]
    Tabula Sapiens Consortium*, Jones RC, Karkanias J, Krasnow MA, Pisco AO, Quake SR, Salzman J, Yosef N, Bulthaup B, Brown P et al.. The Tabula Sapiens: A multiple-organ, single-cell transcriptomic atlas of humans. (2022)  Science, 376 (6594): eabl4896. [PMID:35549404]
  • Integrated genomics and chemical biology herald an era of sophisticated antibacterial discovery, from defining essential genes to target elucidation.
     Warrier T, Romano KP, Clatworthy AE, Hung DT. Integrated genomics and chemical biology herald an era of sophisticated antibacterial discovery, from defining essential genes to target elucidation. (2022)  Cell Chem Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35523184]
  • Control of host PTMs by intracellular bacteria: An opportunity toward novel anti-infective agents.
     Stévenin V, Neefjes J. Control of host PTMs by intracellular bacteria: An opportunity toward novel anti-infective agents. (2022)  Cell Chem Biol, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35512694]
  • Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences.
     Gegenhuber B, Wu MV, Bronstein R, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences. (2022)  Nature, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35508660]
  • Trends in innovative drug development in China.
     Su X, Wang H, Zhao N, Wang T, Cui Y. Trends in innovative drug development in China. (2022)  Nat Rev Drug Discov, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35513561]
  • Endogenous pannexin1 channels form functional intercellular cell-cell channels with characteristic voltage-dependent properties.
     Palacios-Prado N, Soto PA, López X, Choi EJ, Marquez-Miranda V, Rojas M, Duarte Y, Lee J, González-Nilo FD, Sáez JC. Endogenous pannexin1 channels form functional intercellular cell-cell channels with characteristic voltage-dependent properties. (2022)  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 119 (18): e2202104119. [PMID:35486697]
  • TLR7 and Lupus.
     Lowe D. TLR7 and Lupus. 
    Accessed on 16/05/2022. Modified on 16/05/2022. In the Pipeline, https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/tlr7-and-lupus
  • Physicochemical classification of organisms.
     Vallina Estrada E, Oliveberg M. Physicochemical classification of organisms. (2022)  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 119 (19): e2122957119. [PMID:35500111]

    • April 2022


  • The complete sequence of a human genome
    Church DM. A next-generation human genome sequence. (2022)  Science, 376 (6588): 34-35. [PMID:35357937]
    Nurk S, Koren S, Rhie A, Rautiainen M, Bzikadze AV, Mikheenko A, Vollger MR, Altemose N, Uralsky L, Gershman A et al.. The complete sequence of a human genome. (2022)  Science, 376 (6588): 44-53. [PMID:35357919]
  • Preclinical characterization and target validation of the antimalarial pantothenamide MMV693183.
     de Vries LE, Jansen PAM, Barcelo C, Munro J, Verhoef JMJ, Pasaje CFA, Rubiano K, Striepen J, Abla N, Berning L et al.. Preclinical characterization and target validation of the antimalarial pantothenamide MMV693183. (2022)  Nat Commun, 13 (1): 2158. [PMID:35444200]
  • Emergence of new subgenomic mRNAs in SARS-CoV-2.
     Mears HV, Young GR, Sanderson T, Harvey R, Crawford M, Snell DM, Fowler AS, Hussain S, Nicod J, Peacock TP et al.. Emergence of new subgenomic mRNAs in SARS-CoV-2. (2022)  bioRxiv, Preprint. DOI: 10.1101/2022.04.20.488895
  • Novel drug targets in 2021.
     Avram S, Halip L, Curpan R, Oprea TI. Novel drug targets in 2021. (2022)  Nat Rev Drug Discov, [Epub ahead of print]. [PMID:35361900]
  • Hot Topics: A new study shows that human ageing is absolutely precise, when disease is eliminated, and accompanied by a disintegration of metabolic efficiency

    Comments by the Guide to Pharmacology Curation Team, University of Edinburgh

    Hot Topics: A new study shows that human ageing is absolutely precise, when disease is eliminated, and accompanied by a disintegration of metabolic efficiency. Read the full article on our blog
  • Hot Topics: Endothelin-1 pathway, a new therapeutic target for COVID-19

    Comments by the Guide to Pharmacology Curation Team, University of Edinburgh

    SARS-CoV-2 gains entry into the body mainly via the lungs. After entering the blood, the virus rapidly multiplies to infect nearby cells. Endothelial cells line every blood vessel and have a surface area similar to a tennis court. These cells are especially vulnerable to virus infection as they express the the virus entry receptor, ACE2. Endothelial cells are also a source of endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is released in response to injury to cause long lasting vasoconstriction, reducing oxygen supply to vital organs. In the lungs, this can cause breathing difficulty, which in severe cases requires patients to be given oxygen and put on a ventilator.. Read the full article on our blog
  • Structural Perspective on the Mechanism of Signal Activation, Ligand Selectivity and Allosteric Modulation in Angiotensin Receptors: IUPHAR Review 34.
     Singh KD, Karnik SS. Structural Perspective on the Mechanism of Signal Activation, Ligand Selectivity and Allosteric Modulation in Angiotensin Receptors: IUPHAR Review 34. (2022)  Br J Pharmacol, [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1111/bph.15840 [PMID:35318654]
  • Eicosanoid signaling blockade protects middle-aged mice from severe COVID-19.
     Wong LR, Zheng J, Wilhelmsen K, Li K, Ortiz ME, Schnicker NJ, Thurman A, Pezzulo AA, Szachowicz PJ, Li P et al.. Eicosanoid signaling blockade protects middle-aged mice from severe COVID-19. (2022)  Nature, [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04630-3 [PMID:35314834]
  • A TMPRSS2 inhibitor acts as a pan-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic and therapeutic
    Guide to Pharmacology Curation Team. Database Release 2022.1.  guidetopharmacology blog, https://blog.guidetopharmacology.org/2022/03/31/database-release-2022-1/#N-0385
    Shapira T, Monreal IA, Dion SP, Buchholz DW, Imbiakha B, Olmstead AD, Jager M, Désilets A, Gao G, Martins M et al.. A TMPRSS2 inhibitor acts as a pan-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic and therapeutic. (2022)  Nature, [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04661-w [PMID:35344983]