Researchers at the University of Calgary have discovered the unique genes that allow the opium poppy to make codeine and morphine, thus opening doors to alternate methods of producing these effective painkillers either by manufacturing them in a lab or controlling the production of these compounds in the plant. “The enzymes encoded by these two [...]
Archive for the ‘Illegal Drugs’ Category
How Poisonous Mushrooms Cook Up Toxins
June 16th, 2010 Heather Hallen spent eight years looking for poison in all the wrong places. Alpha-amanitin is the poison of the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. The Michigan State University plant biology research associate was looking for a big gene that makes a big enzyme that produces alpha-amanitin, since that’s how other fungi produce similar compounds. But [...]
Undergrad Researchers Lay Groundwork for Drug Addiction Remedy
June 5th, 2010 Sarah Steele and Langtian “Ren” Yuan were both self-admittedly inexperienced Duke freshmen in the spring of 2006. But then they followed helpful directions of an assistant chemistry professor, added their own patience and ingenuity, and ended up identifying compounds that might allay the powerful cravings of methamphetamine and cocaine addiction. The two women, now seniors, [...]
Women Who Drink Moderately Appear to Gain Less Weight Than Nondrinkers
March 15th, 2010 Normal-weight women who drink a light to moderate amount of alcohol appear to gain less weight and have a lower risk of becoming overweight and obese than non-drinkers, according to a report in the March 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. More than half of American adults drink alcoholic beverages, according to background information [...]
Posted in Illegal Drugs, Mental Health, Mind 
Tags: impacts of smoking on woman, quit smoking, Woman stop smoking 
Comments OffThe Buzz on Fruit Flies: New Role in the Search for Addiction Treatments
March 15th, 2010 Fruit flies may seem like unlikely heroes in the battle against drug abuse, but new research suggests that these insects — already used to study dozens of human disease — could claim that role. Scientists are reporting that fruit flies can be used as a simpler and more convenient animal model for studying the effects [...]
Brain Scan Study Shows Cocaine Abusers Can Control Cravings!
March 13th, 2010 When asked to inhibit their response to a “cocaine-cues” video, active cocaine abusers were, on average, able to suppress activity in brain regions linked to drug craving, according to a new study at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory. The results, to be published in an upcoming issue of NeuroImage, suggest that clinical [...]