Related topics: cancer , patients , food and drug administration
Drug
hideA 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.
For more information about Drug, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with drug
First case of highly drug-resistant TB found in US
18 hours ago |
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(AP) -- It started with a cough, an autumn hack that refused to go away.
Emerald BioStructures announces discovery of small molecule modulators of PDE4
9 hours ago |
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Emerald BioStructures (formerly deCODE biostructures) announced a publication in the December 27, 2009 advance online issue of Nature Biotechnology, detailing the application of structure-based drug design (SBDD) to engine ...
Britain bans 'legal high' drugs
Dec 23, 2009 |
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Britain banned several drugs known as "legal highs" Wednesday amid mounting public concern about their health risks.
Up a little on the left... now, over to the right... Scientists find a source of nonallergic itch
Dec 22, 2009 |
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Scratching below the surface of a troublesome sensation that's equal parts tingle-tickle-prickle, sensory scientists from Johns Hopkins have discovered in mice a molecular basis for nonallergic itch.
High-blood-pressure treatment for the over-80s too aggressive, warns expert
Dec 23, 2009 |
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People over 80 years are being treated too aggressively for high blood pressure, warns an expert in an editorial in BMJ Clinical Evidence this week.
New compounds may control deadly fungal infections
Dec 22, 2009 |
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An estimated 25,000 Americans develop severe fungal infections each year, leading to 10,000 deaths despite the use of anti-fungal drugs. The associated cost to the U.S. health care system has been estimated at $1 billion ...
Researchers Identify Tuberculosis Strain That Thrives on Antibiotic
Dec 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have identified a strain of antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis that thrives in the presence of rifampin, a front-line drug in the treatment of tuberculosis. The bacterium was identified in a patient ...
Figitumumab has anti-tumor activity in Ewing's sarcoma
Dec 23, 2009 |
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A preliminary study of the anticancer drug figitumumab has found that it has antitumour activity in Ewing's sarcoma—a cancer which affects mainly teenage boys. The results have led to the drug's progression to a Phase 2 trial ...
Nanoprobes hit targets in tumors, could lessen chemo side effects
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Dec 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Tiny nanoprobes have shown to be effective in delivering cancer drugs more directly to tumor cells - mitigating the damage to nearby healthy cells - and Purdue University research has shown that the nanoprobes ...
New study shows rise in drug resistance of dangerous infection in US hospitals
Dec 23, 2009 |
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A new study in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology reports a surge in drug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter, a dangerous type of bacteria that is becoming increasingly common in U.S. hospitals. This ...
Teen marijuana use tilts up, while some drugs decline in use
Dec 14, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Marijuana use among American adolescents has increased gradually over the past two years (three years among 12th-graders) following years of declining use, according to the latest Monitoring the Future study, ...
DNA needs a good editor: Researchers unravel the mysteries of DNA packaging
Dec 14, 2009 |
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Imagine a huge spool of film containing thousands of sequences of random scenes. Without a talented editor, a screening would have no meaning.
Nasal swine flu vaccine recalled over potency
Medicine & Health / Medications
Dec 22, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Drugmaker Medimmune is recalling nearly 5 million doses of swine flu vaccine because the nasal spray appears to lose strength over time.
Feds mull regulating drugs in water
Dec 22, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Federal regulators under President Barack Obama have sharply shifted course on long-standing policy toward pharmaceutical residues in the nation's drinking water, taking a critical first step toward regulating some ...
The use and misuse of alcohol and marijuana can be traced to a common set of genes
Dec 18, 2009 |
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Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Roughly eight to 12 percent of marijuana users are considered "dependent" and, just like alcohol, the severity of symptoms increases with heavier use. ...
