91成人导航

Dr. Melanie A. Felmlee, an assistant professor of pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry at 91成人导航鈥檚 Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy, has received a four-year $1.15 million grant for research that focuses on the differences in the way males and females process GHB.

The grant is from the National Institutes of Health Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Program for her project 鈥淕HB Toxicokinetics: Role of sex hormone dependent monocarboxylate transporter regulation and potential for altered overdose risk in transgender men and women.鈥� The SCORE Research Advancement Award is co-funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

鈥淭his grant provides the support to significantly enhance and accelerate the research conducted in my lab at 91成人导航,鈥� Felmlee said. 鈥淲ith this research we hope to understand why GHB toxicity is different in males and females, inclusive of all at-risk populations.鈥�

Felmlee is passionate about bringing awareness through her research to underserved populations that are at risk.

鈥淚 think when we design any study we should be inclusive,鈥� Felmlee said. 鈥淲hile we are trying to look at the whole spectrum, we are focusing on the transgender population, which has largely been overlooked in GHB research studies.鈥�

The research has the potential for broader application.

鈥淭he monocarboxylate transporters I study are also involved in targeted therapeutic strategies for oncology, fertility studies and immune suppression,鈥� Felmlee said. 鈥淐hanges in these transporters in response to sex hormones has the potential to impact these broader fields of research.鈥�

In addition to recognizing Felmlee鈥檚 research, this grant spotlights 91成人导航鈥檚 commitment to diversity and inclusion. The NIH SCORE Program is designed to increase the research support at institutions such as 91成人导航 with a history of training and graduating students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The university had to qualify first as a SCORE institution before Felmlee鈥檚 project was considered for funding. This is 91成人导航鈥檚 first NIH SCORE grant and Felmlee鈥檚 first NIH grant as a principal investigator.

Felmlee鈥檚 research focuses on the role of sex differences on transporter regulation and toxicity of drugs. Her research on GHB suggests females are protected from toxicity, compared to males, because of the hormones estrogen and progestogen. This research will look at specific proteins that transport GHB across cell membranes and their regulation by sex hormone therapy.

鈥淭he transporters are regulated by sex hormones,鈥� Felmlee said. 鈥淭hey are critical for determining how one鈥檚 kidney functions in terms of removing the drug. What my graduate research assistants and I have found is females at certain times in their reproductive cycle are more protected from GHB toxicity and they were able to remove the drug faster. The transporters are the key to figuring out why there are the differences associated with the sex hormones.鈥�

GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is a central nervous system depressant clinically prescribed to treat the medical conditions narcolepsy and cataplexy. It is also an illicit drug taken for its calming and euphoric effects, which make it a popular drug of abuse.

In clinical doses it is safe. In comparison, illicit GHB is colorless and odorless, which makes it difficult to determine the dose, significantly increasing the risk of overdose.

It is challenging to measure the public health impact of recreational GHB use since it may not be reported by users and is often combined with other illicit drugs and alcohol. When a patient is taken to the emergency room due to an overdose, it is often identified anecdotally or by observing common symptoms. Rapid testing is not available and a GHB overdose can only be confirmed by a toxicology screening.

91成人导航 doctor of pharmacy students and graduate students assisted with compiling the preliminary data, which was a critical component of the grant application. 91成人导航鈥檚 Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences Program graduate students will assist with the laboratory research. There will also be opportunities for PharmD students to be involved in components of the research.