Research

The Department has collaborated with other Departments of this institution in investigations of mutual interest.  Ongoing research activities include:

Smooth Muscle Pharmacology:

Effects of various inhibitory effects of novel drugs on the contractility of isolated smooth muscle like human myometrium, human detrusor, caprine (goat) detrusor, caprine ureter etc. are being studied.

Epigenetics:

To assess the role and ability of new epigenetic drugs like histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi) in patients with psychiatric disorders like major depressive disorder.

Animal Studies:

There are variety of in-vivo animal studies has been either done or going on in Department which focuses on different research questions such as: the effect of novel drugs on healing of wounds and keloids using transgenic mice and Wistar rats; role of placental lysate as a prophylactic agent against chemical-Induced hepatocellular carcinoma using mice models; and to analyse the effects of new drugs on behavioural patterns of animals using various screening methods.

Clinical Studies:

Currently the Department is also conducting a clinical trial to assess the role of a candidate drug in its pressure ulcer- healing properties in patients. This study is going on in collaboration with Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Pharmacogenomics:

To analyse effect of specific SNPs on various drug actions and adverse effects, with a focus on antipsychotic medications in patients.

Pharmacoeconomics:

Cost burden of drugs and other medical expenses on patient due to various conditions in multiple age groups in CMC, Vellore.

Drug Resistance:

Observational studies to learn the prevalence and trend of resistance to various drugs in specific conditions and populations.

Pharmacology Education:

In collaboration with Department of Medical Education, the Department is conducting studies on effectiveness of various teaching modalities in undergraduate medical students such as integrated learning program (ILP) for teaching various pharmacology topics and the role of flipping the classroom on performance of first clinical year medical students.

Molecular Pharmacology:

Work is focussed on the understanding of the pathophysiology of development of keloids in human and to find novel drugs for the treatment of human keloids using in-vitro tools such as qRTPCR, nanodrop, flow-cytometry etc., using human keloid fibroblasts and normal fibroblasts obtained from patients, in collaboration with Centre For Stem cell Research (CSCR), Christian Medical College, Vellore.

Studies related to Pharmacokinetics, TDM and Pharmacometrics:

• Anti-TB:
  • Population modeling using NONMEM of anti TB drugs in children. Data has been collected on children with daily and intermittent Anti TB therapy .

• Anti-Cancer:
  • Pharmacokinetics of anticancer drugs in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies, with an aim to comment on drug concentration exposure in Indian patients with the current dosing regimen.

• Antibiotics:
  • Using computer based programs to help give patients the best antibiotic dose. Using a programme called “BEST DOSE”, the suitability of this programme using models developed by us is confirmed.
  • Pharmacokinetics and pharmacometrics of high end antibiotics in critically ill patients. Modeling done using nonparametric programmes as Pmetrics
  • Measuring meropenem stability in vitro using the vials with an infusion set up. To estimate how long the drug is stable after reconstitution, in the event of administering prolonged infusions to the patient.

• Biomatrices:
  • Using different biomatrices to measure drug concentration. The drug concentration of anticonvulsants using an economical filter paper is estimated and the possibility of using this to predict serum concentration is studied.

• TPMT:
  • Using thiopurine methyl transferase levels to guide the dosing with azathioprine.

• Anticonvulsants:
  • Total and free concentration of anticonvulsants in critically ill patients with low albumin is estimated using HPLC.

• Immunosuppressants:
  • Mycophenolate and tacrolimus dosing in transplant patients

Medicine Use studies and Pharmacovigilance studies

Medicines use studies are currently being focused on antibiotic use research both in the community and hospital. Externally funded multicentric studies have been done along with WHO and INCLEN which have given significant contributions to the national direction on antibiotic use and antibiotic policies.

Pharmacovigilance studies are being done focusing on cohort event monitoring of relatively newly marketed medicines and individualized research questions.

Undergraduate research:

The Department has provision for conducting undergraduate research program for the first clinical year medical students which help in their exposure towards research.