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Washington State University
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences March newsletter

CBD shows promise for reducing cigarette smoking

By Sara Zaske, WSU News & Media Relations

SPOKANE, Wash. – Cannabidiol or CBD, a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, inhibits the metabolism of nicotine, new research has found, meaning it could help tobacco users curb the urge for that next cigarette.

A team led by Washington State University researchers tested the effects of CBD and its major metabolite on human liver tissue and cell samples, showing that it inhibited a key enzyme for nicotine metabolism. For the … » More …

March 2023 Updates

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

Publications

Pharmaceutical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Associate Dilip Singh, Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate in Research Guihua Yue, Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Professor Bhagwat Prasad  with Pharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Medicine Graduate Students Sheena Sharma and Deepak Ahire and three other co-authors published, “Quantitative characterization of clinically relevant drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters in rat liver and intestinal segments for applications in PBPK modeling,” in Molecular Pharmaceutics in February 2023.

Bhagwat Prasad with Pharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Medicine Graduate Student Sheena Sharma and one other co-author published, “B. Interplay of breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp/Abcg2), sex, and fed state in oral pharmacokinetic variability of furosemide in rats,” in Pharmaceutics in January 2023.

… » More …

WSU program aims to address shortage of rural pharmacists, ‘the most accessible health care providers in America’

James Hanlon’s reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and by members of the Spokane community. This story, which was first published on January 31, 2023 in the Spokesman Review, can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license.

By James Hanlon, reporter for The Spokesman-Review

A shortage of pharmacies in rural areas has made it harder for people to fill prescriptions and to access other critical services.

Roughly 450,000 adults in Washington live in what are called pharmacy deserts, according to the University of Washington. An interactive map by the telepharmacy software company TelePharm … » More …

Ensuring drug safety in underrepresented populations

By Judith Van Dongen

Washington State University scientists are helping to develop safer drug dosing standards for children and other populations that are underrepresented in clinical drug trials, such as pregnant women, older adults taking multiple medications, and people from certain ethnic groups.

Bhagwat Prasad, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, is leading the research, which could help pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals determine the right dosing for many drugs prescribed to children that have only ever been tested in adults.

Since a child’s body handles drugs differently than an adult’s, it can be challenging to determine the optimal dose—enough … » More …

WSU toxicologist receives award for groundbreaking research

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) is a professional and scholarly organization dedicated to the understanding of the adverse effects of chemicals and other agents on living organisms. The SOT Achievement Award is a prestigious honor given to a toxicologist who has made significant contributions to the field through their research, education, and service. It is one of the highest awards given by the SOT, and it is a testament to the recipient’s dedication and impact on the field of toxicology.

The Society of Toxicology announced that this year’s recipient of the SOT Achievement Award is Washington State University Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Professor John Clarke. … » More …

Gift launches Rural Health Initiative at WSU

A recent $2.2 million gift to Washington State University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) will increase opportunities for PharmD students to focus on the health care needs of residents in rural Washington. This extraordinary anonymous gift has helped to launch CPPS’ Rural Health Initiative (RHI) to improve access to health care in the rural communities of Washington. Started in the fall of 2021, RHI is an ambitious 10-year plan to create opportunities for student pharmacists and post-graduate pharmacists to specialize in delivery of rural health care. Access to health care providers in rural Washington continues to be a challenge for the nearly 800,000 residents living in these areas. It’s estimated that Washington needs 600 new providers to eliminate this gap in access to care. The Rural Health Initiative aims to alleviate this problem. » More ...

CPPS Announces Faculty Promotions

From the first days in kindergarten, to the last days of a doctoral program, educators serve a critical role in their students’ lives. They guide students through the curriculum, sharing their own experiences and expertise to help students forge their own paths.

At the Washington State University (WSU) College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) faculty members are passionate about inspiring the next generation of health care providers and scientists. By giving faculty the opportunity to excel through professional advancement and research, both faculty and students benefit. University promotions recognizes a faculty member’s growth through activities in teaching, research and service.

“These promotions represent years … » More …

March 2022 Updates

FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP

Publications

Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Professor Sayed Daoud and four co-authors published, “Perturbation of Wnt/b-catenin signaling and sexual dimorphism in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,” in Hepatol Research, a peer-reviewed journal from the Public Library of Sciences.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Assistant Professor Anil Singh, Mahamudul Haque (PhD ’20), Pharmaceutical Sciences Assistant Professor Abdul Basit, Pharmaceutical Sciences Associate Professor and Director of Industry Engagement Bhagwat Prasad, Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor and Executive Director of Graduate Programs Salahuddin Ahmed and six co-authors published, “Ets-2 propagates IL-6 trans-signaling mediated osteoclast-like changes in human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblast,” in Frontiers in immunology in December 2021.

Presentations

Allen I. White Distinguished Professor of … » More …

Bringing health and wellness education to the Spokane community

Over the month of February, pharmacy student volunteers from the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences spent a few hours each Saturday at the Mobius Discovery Center teaching children and families in the Spokane community about health and wellness. The activities were arranged by Spokane chapters of the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and Kappa Psi (a professional fraternity).

Olivia Hiskey, class of 2023, served as the primary organizer and communicator between the college and Mobius, and helped organize the supplies and volunteers needed to successfully host the activities each week. Hiskey shares her experience and why … » More …

How summer on the lake may impact your liver

As the weather warms, daydreams of summer set in; the sounds of birds chirping, the smell of freshly mown grass, the feel of a cool swim on a warm day. But as the flowers begin to bloom so do algae unleashing a green scum across bodies of water and toxins that can affect the health of anyone exposed to too much.

Microcystin-LR is the most common and the most potent toxin produced by freshwater blue-green algae. It was first identified as a potent liver toxin in the 1980s and has since been linked to liver damage and cancer. Today, levels of the toxin are monitored … » More …