Mode of actionIn pharmacology and biochemistry, mode of action (MoA) describes a functional or anatomical change, resulting from the exposure of a living organism to a substance. In comparison, a mechanism of action (MOA) describes such changes at the molecular level. A mode of action is important in classifying chemicals, as it represents an intermediate level of complexity in between molecular mechanisms and physiological outcomes, especially when the exact molecular target has not yet been elucidated or is subject to debate.
Mechanism of actionIn pharmacology, the term mechanism of action (MOA) refers to the specific biochemical interaction through which a drug substance produces its pharmacological effect. A mechanism of action usually includes mention of the specific molecular targets to which the drug binds, such as an enzyme or receptor. Receptor sites have specific affinities for drugs based on the chemical structure of the drug, as well as the specific action that occurs there.
Phenotypic screeningPhenotypic screening is a type of screening used in biological research and drug discovery to identify substances such as small molecules, peptides, or RNAi that alter the phenotype of a cell or an organism in a desired manner. Phenotypic screening must be followed up with identification (sometimes referred to as target deconvolution) and validation, often through the use of chemoproteomics, to identify the mechanisms through which a phenotypic hit works. Phenotypic screening historically has been the basis for the discovery of new drugs.
Club drugClub drugs, also called rave drugs or party drugs, are a loosely defined category of recreational drugs which are associated with discothèques in the 1970s and nightclubs, dance clubs, electronic dance music (EDM) parties, and raves in the 1980s to today. Unlike many other categories, such as opiates and benzodiazepines, which are established according to pharmaceutical or chemical properties, club drugs are a "category of convenience", in which drugs are included due to the locations they are consumed and/or where the user goes while under the influence of the drugs.
MicrofluidiqueLa microfluidique est la science et la technique des systèmes manipulant des fluides et dont au moins l'une des dimensions caractéristiques est de l'ordre du micromètre. George Whitesides définit la microfluidique comme « la science et la technologie des systèmes qui manipulent de petits volumes de fluides ( à ), en utilisant des canaux de la dimension de quelques dizaines de micromètres ». Selon Patrick Tabeling, Tabeling précise qu'il entend essentiellement par « nouvelles techniques » la microfabrication héritée de la micro-électronique.
Food and Drug AdministrationLa Food and Drug Administration (FDA, en français : « Agence fédérale américaine des produits alimentaires et médicamenteux ») est l'administration américaine des denrées alimentaires et des médicaments. Cet organisme a, entre autres, le mandat d'autoriser la commercialisation des médicaments sur le territoire des États-Unis.
Médicament orphelinOn appelle médicament orphelin tout médicament développé pour le traitement de « maladies orphelines » (c'est-à-dire des maladies rares). Le terme est apparu aux États-Unis dans le de 1983. Selon cet acte, une maladie orpheline est (A) soit une maladie qui touche moins de personnes sur leur territoire, (B) soit une maladie qui touche plus de personnes sur leur territoire, et pour laquelle il est improbable que le coût de la mise au point et de la fabrication aux États-Unis d'un médicament contre cet état ou de cette maladie soit récupéré par les ventes aux États-Unis de ce médicament.
War on Drugsthumb|Prise de drogue aux États-Unis en 1996. War on Drugs, traduisible par « guerre contre les drogues », est une expression utilisée aux États-Unis pour désigner les efforts entrepris par le gouvernement américain pour lutter contre les drogues. La campagne des États-Unis contre la toxicomanie s'inscrit dans une logique plus globale de lutte anti-drogue basée sur l'abstinence et visant à une éradication totale des drogues dont la première étape serait leur prohibition.
Investigational New DrugThe United States Food and Drug Administration's Investigational New Drug (IND) program is the means by which a pharmaceutical company obtains permission to start human clinical trials and to ship an experimental drug across state lines (usually to clinical investigators) before a marketing application for the drug has been approved. Regulations are primarily at . Similar procedures are followed in the European Union, Japan, and Canada. Commercial INDs are filed by companies to obtain marketing approval for a new drug.
Schild equationIn pharmacology, Schild regression analysis, based upon the Schild equation, both named for Heinz Otto Schild, are tools for studying the effects of agonists and antagonists on the response caused by the receptor or on ligand-receptor binding. Dose-response curves can be constructed to describe response or ligand-receptor complex formation as a function of the ligand concentration. Antagonists make it harder to form these complexes by inhibiting interactions of the ligand with its receptor.
