W.H.O. Definition of Drug “Any substance or product that is used or intended to be used to modify or explore physiological systems or pathological states for the benefit of the recipient.” Conventional definition of Drug Drug is a substance used for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of a disease in human beings or animals. But, […]
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Steroids or Corticosteroids are hormones produced by the adrenal cortex and are necessary for various physiological functions in the body. The terms ‘corticosteroid’ and ‘corticoid‘ are used interchangeably to refer to natural gluco- and mineralo-corticoids, and their synthetic analogues. Hydrocortisone is the major endogenous glucocorticoid, whereas aldosterone is the major endogenous mineralocorticoid. The key role of
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Drugs derived from opium (poppy plants) are called opiates e.g., morphine, while opiates like substances are called opioids. Opioids are semi-synthetic or synthetic substances having similar characteristics and the ability to interact with opioid receptors in the brain. There are 3 receptors µ (mu), κ (kappa) and δ (delta) for opioids. All three receptors (µ,
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Prostaglandins (PGs) are physiologically active products of the COX (cyclooxygenase) pathway, which are generated from phospholipids in cell membranes.
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It is a field in which drug administration is synchronized with the biological rhythm in order to optimize the therapeutic effect while minimizing side effects. A collective knowledge of variation in disease intensity and exacerbation, impact of circadian rhythm on the efficacy and safety of medication constitutes the rationale for a novel pharmacological approach.
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Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) is the measurement of drug and active metabolite concentrations in the plasma or serum to maximize therapeutic effect and minimize side effects. Although oral fluid (Saliva) drug concentration measurement is becoming popular in recent years and has been suggested as a non-invasive option, but it has a number of limitations. Individualizing
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Hybridoma technique is the most favored and efficient method for exploring and producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). At present, The majority of the mAbs approved by the US-FDA are manufactured utilizing hybridoma technique. It is introduced by Kohler and Milstein in 1975 and got the Nobel prize in 1984. OKT3 (muromonantibody) against CD-3 is the first
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Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are a type of glycoprotein formed by B-lymphocytes that can be found in a soluble form (in the blood) or membrane-bound form (on the B-cell surface). It is a major component of the humoral immune system. Antigen antibody detection mechanism is similar to a lock and key function. Each
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Immunotoxins are a new class of large molecules and targeted anticancer drugs. It is a conjugated protein containing an antibody, growth factor, or cytokine that binds directly to target cells and toxins (e.g. Diphtheria toxin) joined together with a pH-sensitive cross linker that serves as a disulfide bond in between. Like “magic bullets,” it destroys
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Anticancer drugs are divided into two categories: cytotoxic (non-specific) and targeted (specific). Since cytotoxic anticancer drugs are unable to distinguish between cancer cells and naturally rapidly dividing normal cells in the body, they cause side effects such as bone marrow suppression, alopecia, and diarrhea. Alkylating agents, platinum compounds, anti-metabolites, mitotic spindle inhibitors, topoisomerase inhibitors, and
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