via www.natureworldnews.com
In recent years, researchers have realized that many products, including pharmaceuticals, have ended up where they’re not supposed to be — in our drinking water. But now scientists have developed a way to make drugs that break down into harmless compounds before they contaminate our taps. Their report appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.
A wide range of active ingredients originating from pesticides, shampoos, lotions, cosmetics, disinfectants and drugs get washed into sewage systems or rivers and streams, ending up in our tap water. Scientists don’t have a complete picture yet of what effects these substances have on wildlife and human health, but they are a major concern. Researchers have detected them in low levels in streams and rivers across the United States and in other countries. To address the specific problem of medications in the environment, Klaus Kümmerer and colleagues made tweaks to pharmaceuticals so they degrade after they’ve passed through both the body and sewage treatment systems, which aren’t capable of scrubbing wastewater of all contaminants.
The researchers chose to work with a commonly used drug called propranolol — a beta blocker prescribed to treat high blood pressure and to prevent heart problems. It is very stable and has been found in sewage. They made a small molecular change in its structure that didn’t affect its beta blocking activity but allowed it to break down more easily than the original form. Further studies are needed, but initial testing showed that the altered drug and its byproducts are likely not toxic. The researchers suggest that a similar approach could be used to re-design other classes of drugs and chemicals to make them more environmentally friendly, too.
The Latest on: Pharmaceuticals that degrade
via Google News
The Latest on: Pharmaceuticals that degrade
- John Chaput can store the Declaration of Independence in a single moleculeon March 4, 2021 at 2:30 pm
By using a synthetic genetic polymer, the researcher overcomes prior limitations and lets you hold the world in the palm of your hand.
- Researchers can store the Declaration of Independence in a single moleculeon March 3, 2021 at 1:17 pm
Just how much space would you need to store all of the world's data? A building? A block? A city? The amount of global data is estimated to be around 44 zettabytes. A 15-million-square-foot warehouse ...
- Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine can be stored at -20 degrees pharmaceutical freezerson March 2, 2021 at 4:00 pm
Pharmaceutical freezers commonly operate at ... The mRNA molecules are encased in particles of fat to protect them, but they still degrade more quickly than traditional vaccines and so require ...
- Eagle Pharmaceuticals Inc (EGRX) Q4 2020 Earnings Call Transcripton March 2, 2021 at 11:00 am
Q4 2020 Earnings CallMar 2, 2021, 8:30 a.m. ETContents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: OperatorGood morning, everyone. My name is Leo and I'll be your ...
- Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG: Santhera Announces Positive Results with Lonodelestat in Early Phase Cystic Fibrosis Trialon February 28, 2021 at 11:05 pm
Pratteln, Switzerland, March 1, 2021 - Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX ... an enzyme associated with tissue inflammation, leading to degradation of the lung tissue in cystic fibrosis and several ...
- Santhera Announces Positive Results with Lonodelestat in Early Phase Cystic Fibrosis Trialon February 28, 2021 at 10:23 pm
Neutrophil elastase is an enzyme associated with tissue inflammation, leading to degradation of the lung ... life for individuals with CF. Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty ...
- Santhera Announces Positive Results with Lonodelestat in Early Phase Cystic Fibrosis Trialon February 28, 2021 at 10:16 pm
Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) announces positive results from its multiple ascending dose Phase 1b study with lonodelestat, a potent inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (hNE), in patients ...
- HitGen and UPPTHERA Enter Into Drug Discovery Research Collaborationon February 28, 2021 at 6:01 pm
“We are delighted to enter this collaboration with UPPTHERA, an emerging pharmaceutical venture company aiming for new drug development based on targeted protein degradation (TPD) technology. We look ...
- Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc (COLL) Q4 2020 Earnings Call Transcripton February 26, 2021 at 5:01 am
Q4 2020 Earnings Call Feb 25, 2021, 4:30 p.m. ET Greetings and welcome to the Collegium Pharmaceutical Fourth Quarter 2020 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is ...
- Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Reports 2020 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results and Highlightson February 25, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Feb. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madrigal Pharmaceuticals ... in part due to the inflamed state of the liver that causes degradation of thyroid hormone. To exploit the thyroid hormone receptor ...
via Bing News
