Applied Pharmacology: Characterization of Mechanisms Involved in Pain, Inflammation and Cancer

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Focus on chronic diseases and pruritus

The Research Group on Applied Pharmacology: Characterization of Mechanisms Involved in Pain, Inflammation, and Cancer, associated with the Institute of Toxicology and Pharmacology of PUCRS, organizes its actions based on five research areas. Currently, the team, co-led by Professors Maria Martha Campos and Fernanda Bueno Morrone, concentrates its activities on the study of pruritus and other inflammation-related diseases, including cancer.

One of the goals of the researchers is to identify new alternatives to treat different types of pain caused by chronic diseases, such as fibromyalgia and neuropathies resulting from diabetes, chemotherapy, or trauma. Understanding the process of the diseases will allow the researchers to identify specific pharmaceutical agents or possible combinations of medications to mitigate the effects of the pain, mainly in cases in which the traditional prescriptions are ineffective. This study is aligned with Ordinance 1,284 of the Ministry of Health, released in 2010, encouraging the expansion of research on non-infectious chronic diseases. The document highlights the need for Brazil to invest in innovative, low-cost therapies with fewer side effects for ailments such as diabetes, depression, psoriasis, and lupus.

The study of itching of different origins is an emerging topic in science, and the Research Group on Applied Pharmacology is one of the leaders in this matter in Brazil. In 2011, the researchers published an article in the journal PAIN, which is the international reference on the area. Currently, the projects in this Group involve the following: a) evaluation of intracellular signaling pathways involved in itching; b) studying alterations in the expression of receptors at the spinal and supraspinal levels; and c) studies on toxinology focused on the anti-itching effects of toxins from the Brazilian spider Phoneutria nigriventer., The last project is supported by the Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), and in partnership with the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Other ongoing projects seek to use these toxins to treat diseases such as cancer and hemorrhagic cystitis.