In the fight against drug-resistant bacteria, MIT researchers have enlisted the help of beneficial bacteria known as probiotics.
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 17, 2018
1
1787
Iceland is a small country tucked away on the edge of Europe. It has a population of only about 340,000 people. Iceland's prisons are small too. There are only five, altogether housing fewer than 200 prisoners. Of these five, ...
Social Sciences
Nov 06, 2018
3
103
University of California, Berkeley, synthetic biologists have engineered brewer's yeast to produce marijuana's main ingredients—mind-altering THC and non-psychoactive CBD—as well as novel cannabinoids not found in the ...
Biotechnology
Feb 27, 2019
15
5316
Researchers have designed a machine learning algorithm for drug discovery which has been shown to be twice as efficient as the industry standard, which could accelerate the process of developing new treatments for disease.
Biochemistry
Feb 11, 2019
0
160
A groundbreaking discovery by chemists at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will have a significant impact on how pharmaceutical companies develop new drug treatments. The breakthrough involves fluorine, which ...
Materials Science
Sep 05, 2018
0
282
Most people have heard about antibiotic-resistant germs. But how about antibiotic-resistant dust?
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 11, 2018
0
836
Grocery store aisles are stocked with products that promise to kill bacteria. People snap up those items to protect themselves from the germs that make them sick. However, new research from Washington University in St. Louis ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 22, 2019
1
1174
A chemical compound found in common herbicides could help fight hospital-acquired human fungal pathogenic infections, which claim an estimated two million lives per year.
Biochemistry
Oct 04, 2018
8
101
Scientists have traditionally believed that combining more than two drugs to fight harmful bacteria would yield diminishing returns. The prevailing theory is that that the incremental benefits of combining three or more drugs ...
Biotechnology
Sep 03, 2018
1
351
One of the hallmark traits of Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating disorder marked by memory deficits and general cognitive decline, is the accumulation in the brain of a protein called b-amyloid. These proteins form "plaques" ...
Biochemistry
Oct 23, 2018
0
689
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.
In pharmacology, Dictionary.com defines a drug as "a chemical substance used in the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being." Drugs may be prescribed for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic disorders.
Recreational drugs are chemical substances that affect the central nervous system, such as opioids or hallucinogens. They may be used for perceived beneficial effects on perception, consciousness, personality, and behavior. Some drugs can cause addiction and habituation.
Drugs are usually distinguished from endogenous biochemicals by being introduced from outside the organism.[citation needed] For example, insulin is a hormone that is synthesized in the body; it is called a hormone when it is synthesized by the pancreas inside the body, but if it is introduced into the body from outside, it is called a drug.[citation needed]
Many natural substances such as beers, wines, and some mushrooms, blur the line between food and drugs, as when ingested they affect the functioning of both mind and body.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
