Trends in Pharmacological Sciences Looks Ahead in 2021 and Beyond

Abstract

‘The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray’ said the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. For the world, year 2020 was one such year, where, as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic raged, people’s lives ground to a halt and all plans changed overnight. Science pivoted to focus its attention on understanding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it caused, to meet the urgent need of generating therapies and vaccines to combat COVID-19. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences (TIPS) had a front seat view to these fast-progressing scientific discoveries, as experts reviewed the available coronavirus literature, presented perspectives on the different potential therapeutic paths to beat the disease, and provided succinct analyses of COVID-19 literature as the works were published. Consequently, several of these high-impact articles were published in the journal in 2020 and have now been collated into a collectioni. I am glad to know that the authors of each of these articles considered TIPS as the home for their works and am amazed by their dedication to present the best science for the readers of TIPS, and elsewhere, under such trying times. Indeed, not only do I offer my thanks and appreciation to the authors of COVID-19 associated articles, but I also thank and greatly appreciate all authors and reviewers who contributed (and continue to do so) their time and energy to the journal throughout the past year, often times dealing simultaneously with stressors from the pandemic. The year 2021 brought with it hope (in the form of several vaccines for COVID-19) globally, and changes in TIPS, with the addition of several new experts on the Advisory Board. This year, I am pleased to introduce eight new Advisory Board members (Box 1, Box 2, Box 3, Box 4, Box 5, Box 6, Box 7, Box 8).Box 1Kum Kum KhannaProfessor, Group Leader, Deputy CoordinatorDepartment of Cell and Molecular BiologyQIMR Berghofer Medical Research InstituteAustraliaProf Kum Kum Khanna heads the Signal Transduction Laboratory at the QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research. She is best known for her work in understanding cellular DNA damage response pathways and their link with cancer initiation and progression. Her preclinical work is focused on developing novel therapies for triple-negative breast cancer and high-grade serous ovarian cancer. About TIPS, Dr Khanna says: ‘What I like about TIPS is that it covers spectrum of topics on all aspects of pharmacology and aims to provide authoritative survey of most important and timely developments. These pieces are very well read, cited, and have impact on new advances in the field.’Box 2View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Mary BebawyAssociate ProfessorUniversity of Technology, SydneyAustraliaDr Bebawy is a pharmaceutical scientist who leads the laboratory of cancer cell biology and therapeutics at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Her research focuses on the molecular basis of cancer relapse. She led the discovery that extracellular vesicles could confer multidrug resistance in cancer, thus introducing a new parallel molecular pathway of drug resistance. Her recent work focuses on the translation of these research findings into clinical practice by exploring the utility of vesicles in precision medicine and as important clinical biomarkers. She says that TIPS has long been synonymous with changing the pharmacology and toxicology paradigm and with the growth of important areas in the field, such as precision medicine, innovative diagnostic technologies, and emerging therapeutics. TIPS continues to serve as an important medium for presenting innovative and transformative discoveries.Box 3View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Debbie HayProfessorDepartment of Pharmacology and ToxicologyUniversity of OtagoNew ZealandDebbie Hay is Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Otago. Her research focuses on class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), especially those that complex with accessory proteins called RAMPs. Her lab has a long-standing interest in understanding the pharmacology, mode of ligand binding and signaling, and tissue expression of these receptors and is developing new analogs and tools to study these peptide-receptor systems. A particular interest is the role of these receptors in migraine.Dr Hay believes TIPS is important for its long-standing ability to provide content that is accessible across the spectrum of degree student to senior researcher, covering broad topics of relevance to pharmacology. She hopes that TIPS would work to incorporate more visual content as it is important to find diverse ways of depicting complex information in times where information overload is becoming an increasing challenge.Box 4View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Avner SchlessingerAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Pharmacological SciencesIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiUSADr Schlessinger is an Associate Professor of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS); Associate Director of Mt Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, and Co-Director of the Pharmacology, Discovery, and Therapeutics Training Area at ISMMS. The overall goal of Dr Schlessinger’s research is to describe drug mechanisms by developing methods integrating approaches from computational chemistry, data science, and chemical biology. His lab applies these methods to characterize disease pathways and develop novel strategies to modulate biological systems.Avner feels that TIPS covers cutting-edge research from a range of disciplines, integrating experimental and computational methodologies, for the understanding of disease and drug mechanisms as well as the discovery of novel therapeutics and precision medicine. He would like to see TIPS keep evolving and help readers gain a deep understanding of biological systems and disease states through covering topics that highlight a quantitative and predictive description of pharmacology.Box 5View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Martina SchmidtProfessorFaculty of Science and Engineering, Molecular PharmacologyGroningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPDUniversity of GroningenThe NetherlandsMartina Schmidt is Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and her research focuses on clustering of defined subcellular compartments (signalosomes) that enables cells to exert highly specialized tasks. The ultimate goal of her research group is to define novel signaling clusters (protein–protein interactions) to offer yet unknown treatment opportunities for, for example, Alzheimer’s dementia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and infectious diseases.Martina envisions TIPS as an ideal platform to highlight novel developments in the field of pharmacology. The articles are very well designed and of high impact. Publications in TIPS offer a unique opportunity to raise interest into pharmacology by other disciplines and to foster cross-fertilization by distinct field of expertise. Dr Schmidt believes that novel technology platforms will certainly catch the interest of TIPS in the future.Box 6View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Stephanie HarlfingerADME Team Lead, DMPK Project LeadAstra ZenecaUKDr Harlfinger is an experienced DMPK scientist (drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics), whose focus has been on supporting drug discovery and early development projects in optimizing, selecting, and profiling clinical candidates, by driving mechanistic understanding of the clearance, distribution, and drug–drug interactions (in vitro and in vivo). This ensures that candidate drugs have the correct properties to enable the appropriate balance between efficacy and safety that will lead to a new medicine.About TIPS, Stephanie says: ‘The integrative approach that TIPS takes, with regards to the scientific disciplines that shape efficacy and safety of medicines, positions it to contribute integrally to advance pharmacological sciences. I would like to see TIPS progress on this trajectory of trying to target researchers from different areas and levels of training with the aim to connect them and foster collaboration.Box 7View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Jeffrey BenovicThomas Eakins ProfessorDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThomas Jefferson UniversityUSADr Benovic has a long-standing interest in understanding the mechanisms that regulate GPCR signaling, with a primary focus on the biochemistry and cell biology of GPCR kinases (GRKs) and arrestins and understanding how dysregulation of GPCRs contributes to the development of disease. This work has involved characterization of the mechanisms involved in receptor phosphorylation and arrestin binding, the structural basis for GRK and arrestin interaction with GPCRs, and the development of strategies to bias GPCR signaling.He likes the timely reviews and opinions that are a hallmark of TIPS and feels that this is a great place for trainees and faculty to keep up to date in their own field but also learn about new areas of research. Jeffrey would like to see TIPS reach out to trainees and young investigators and get them more involved in writing reviews and opinions for the journal.Box 8View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)Jenny LamAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Pharmacology and PharmacyThe University of Hong KongHong Kong Special Administrative RegionDr Lam’s research is focused on the development of drug delivery systems for macromolecular therapeutics, including nucleic acids, proteins, vaccines, and antimicrobial agents, with special interest in the use of particle engineering techniques to produce inhaled and nasal dry powder formulations for the treatment of respiratory diseases.Jenny considers TIPS as one of the journals that leads the field of pharmacological sciences and attracts readers from different disciplines. It provides up-to-date reviews and opinions of the latest technologies and development that highlight the interface between biological science, pharmaceutical science, and drug development. Dr Lam says that she particularly likes the ‘Outstanding Questions’ section of TIPS as they inspire readers to explore the critical research questions in the field. In the coming years, she would like to see TIPS continue to publish exciting articles on the emerging areas in pharmacology and therapeutic research that can promote and reinforce interaction between basic scientists, applied scientists, and clinicians. Kum Kum Khanna Professor, Group Leader, Deputy Coordinator Department of Cell and Molecular Biology QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Australia Prof Kum Kum Khanna heads the Signal Transduction Laboratory at the QIMR Berghofer Institute of Medical Research. She is best known for her work in understanding cellular DNA damage response pathways and their link with cancer initiation and progression. Her preclinical work is focused on developing novel therapies for triple-negative breast cancer and high-grade serous ovarian cancer. About TIPS, Dr Khanna says: ‘What I like about TIPS is that it covers spectrum of topics on all aspects of pharmacology and aims to provide authoritative survey of most important and timely developments. These pieces are very well read, cited, and have impact on new advances in the field.’ Mary Bebawy Associate Professor University of Technology, Sydney Australia Dr Bebawy is a pharmaceutical scientist who leads the laboratory of cancer cell biology and therapeutics at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Her research focuses on the molecular basis of cancer relapse. She led the discovery that extracellular vesicles could confer multidrug resistance in cancer, thus introducing a new parallel molecular pathway of drug resistance. Her recent work focuses on the translation of these research findings into clinical practice by exploring the utility of vesicles in precision medicine and as important clinical biomarkers. She says that TIPS has long been synonymous with changing the pharmacology and toxicology paradigm and with the growth of important areas in the field, such as precision medicine, innovative diagnostic technologies, and emerging therapeutics. TIPS continues to serve as an important medium for presenting innovative and transformative discoveries. Debbie Hay Professor Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Otago New Zealand Debbie Hay is Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Otago. Her research focuses on class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), especially those that complex with accessory proteins called RAMPs. Her lab has a long-standing interest in understanding the pharmacology, mode of ligand binding and signaling, and tissue expression of these receptors and is developing new analogs and tools to study these peptide-receptor systems. A particular interest is the role of these receptors in migraine. Dr Hay believes TIPS is important for its long-standing ability to provide content that is accessible across the spectrum of degree student to senior researcher, covering broad topics of relevance to pharmacology. She hopes that TIPS would work to incorporate more visual content as it is important to find diverse ways of depicting complex information in times where information overload is becoming an increasing challenge. Avner Schlessinger Associate Professor Department of Pharmacological Sciences Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai USA Dr Schlessinger is an Associate Professor of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS); Associate Director of Mt Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, and Co-Director of the Pharmacology, Discovery, and Therapeutics Training Area at ISMMS. The overall goal of Dr Schlessinger’s research is to describe drug mechanisms by developing methods integrating approaches from computational chemistry, data science, and chemical biology. His lab applies these methods to characterize disease pathways and develop novel strategies to modulate biological systems. Avner feels that TIPS covers cutting-edge research from a range of disciplines, integrating experimental and computational methodologies, for the understanding of disease and drug mechanisms as well as the discovery of novel therapeutics and precision medicine. He would like to see TIPS keep evolving and help readers gain a deep understanding of biological systems and disease states through covering topics that highlight a quantitative and predictive description of pharmacology. Martina Schmidt Professor Faculty of Science and Engineering, Molecular Pharmacology Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD University of Groningen The Netherlands Martina Schmidt is Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and her research focuses on clustering of defined subcellular compartments (signalosomes) that enables cells to exert highly specialized tasks. The ultimate goal of her research group is to define novel signaling clusters (protein–protein interactions) to offer yet unknown treatment opportunities for, for example, Alzheimer’s dementia, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and infectious diseases. Martina envisions TIPS as an ideal platform to highlight novel developments in the field of pharmacology. The articles are very well designed and of high impact. Publications in TIPS offer a unique opportunity to raise interest into pharmacology by other disciplines and to foster cross-fertilization by distinct field of expertise. Dr Schmidt believes that novel technology platforms will certainly catch the interest of TIPS in the future. Stephanie Harlfinger ADME Team Lead, DMPK Project Lead Astra Zeneca UK Dr Harlfinger is an experienced DMPK scientist (drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics), whose focus has been on supporting drug discovery and early development projects in optimizing, selecting, and profiling clinical candidates, by driving mechanistic understanding of the clearance, distribution, and drug–drug interactions (in vitro and in vivo). This ensures that candidate drugs have the correct properties to enable the appropriate balance between efficacy and safety that will lead to a new medicine. About TIPS, Stephanie says: ‘The integrative approach that TIPS takes, with regards to the scientific disciplines that shape efficacy and safety of medicines, positions it to contribute integrally to advance pharmacological sciences. I would like to see TIPS progress on this trajectory of trying to target researchers from different areas and levels of training with the aim to connect them and foster collaboration. Jeffrey Benovic Thomas Eakins Professor Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Thomas Jefferson University USA Dr Benovic has a long-standing interest in understanding the mechanisms that regulate GPCR signaling, with a primary focus on the biochemistry and cell biology of GPCR kinases (GRKs) and arrestins and understanding how dysregulation of GPCRs contributes to the development of disease. This work has involved characterization of the mechanisms involved in receptor phosphorylation and arrestin binding, the structural basis for GRK and arrestin interaction with GPCRs, and the development of strategies to bias GPCR signaling. He likes the timely reviews and opinions that are a hallmark of TIPS and feels that this is a great place for trainees and faculty to keep up to date in their own field but also learn about new areas of research. Jeffrey would like to see TIPS reach out to trainees and young investigators and get them more involved in writing reviews and opinions for the journal. Jenny Lam Associate Professor Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Dr Lam’s research is focused on the development of drug delivery systems for macromolecular therapeutics, including nucleic acids, proteins, vaccines, and antimicrobial agents, with special interest in the use of particle engineering techniques to produce inhaled and nasal dry powder formulations for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Jenny considers TIPS as one of the journals that leads the field of pharmacological sciences and attracts readers from different disciplines. It provides up-to-date reviews and opinions of the latest technologies and development that highlight the interface between biological science, pharmaceutical science, and drug development. Dr Lam says that she particularly likes the ‘Outstanding Questions’ section of TIPS as they inspire readers to explore the critical research questions in the field. In the coming years, she would like to see TIPS continue to publish exciting articles on the emerging areas in pharmacology and therapeutic research that can promote and reinforce interaction between basic scientists, applied scientists, and clinicians. To the incoming members, I thank you for considering and accepting the invitation to join the TIPS Advisory Board in these ever-changing and difficult times. To the readers of the journal, I hope you have found the articles published in TIPS helpful in your scientific pursuits and continue to do so. TIPS thanks you for your support and is always open to feedback and ideas. The journal can be reached at [email protected] and/or @TrendsinPharma. iwww.sciencedirect.com/journal/trends-in-pharmacological-sciences/special-issue/10D1X8PV9KH