Research Focus
Areas of Research Focus
The primary mission of the Division is to undertake research that advances our understanding of mechanisms of drug action in humans in order to improve therapeutics. There are six major areas of research focus within the division.
These include:
- Pharmacogenetics and drug disposition and metabolism.
- Fatty acid oxidation and lipid mediator pharmacology.
- Ion channel pharmacology and arrhythmia pharmacogenomics.
- Human cardiovascular pharmacology and autonomic dysfunction.
- Bone and cancer pharmacology.
- Pharmacoepidemiology.
All of these areas are vibrant with multiple junior and senior faculty members engaged in these endeavors.
Pharmacogenetics and Drug Disposition and Metabolism in Humans
Senior Investigators: Mike Stein, Dan Roden, Jens Titze and Nancy Brown. The focus of this area of research is to understand basic mechanisms of drug disposition and metabolism in humans. Historically, this has been a major research interest of the division and work emanating from it has led to such important concepts as first pass drug metabolism, that cytochrome P450's are a major contributor to phase I drug metabolism, and that interindividuality in drug metabolism in humans contributes to differences in drug efficacy and safety. Research in this component of the division continues to contribute importantly to our understanding of drug disposition and metabolism. Drs. Stein, Roden, and Brown are actively engaged in (A) defining the genetic basis of drug variability using pharmacogenomic approaches, and (B) moving our rapidly expanding knowledge about these variants into routine clinical practice. Dr. Titze is interested in the association between interstitial and cellular Na+ storage, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease and how therapeutic or dietary manipulation may prevent Na+ storage.
Fatty Acid Oxidation and Lipid Mediator Pharmacology
Senior Investigators: John Oates, Alan Brash, Jack Roberts, Claus Schneider. Research in this area centers around the role of oxidized bioactive lipid mediators in human health and disease. Arachidonic acid and related polyunsaturated fatty acids are important components of cellular membranes. They can be oxidized enzymatically and non-ezymatically to a variety of different eicosanoids termed either prostaglandins, leukotrienes, or isoprostanes. These compounds exert potent biological activities that mediate a number of important human physiological and pathophysiological processes ranging from atherosclerosis to cancer to neurodegenerative disorders. A major focus of investigators in the division is gaining a better understanding of how formation and metabolism of eicosanoids causes human diseases. For example, Jack Roberts determined that excessive isoprostane formation occurs in many human disorders and that these compounds mimic enzymatically-derived lipid mediators such as prostaglandins in that they exert biological effects by interacting with prostaglandin receptors. On the other hand, Alan Brash and Claus Schneider are actively engaged in research examining fundamental mechanisms of prostaglandin and leukotriene formation and determining how these proteins function catalytically. John Oates and Jack Roberts have a particular interest in neurodegeneration and are exploring how highly reactive products of lipid peroxidation that contain carbonyl moieties and are termed isoketals adduct important proteins resulting in disease.
Ion Channel Pharmacology and Arrhythmia Pharmacogenomics
Senior Investigators: Dan Roden, Bjorn Knollman, Kathy Murray. Beginning in the 1970's, research in this component of the division focused on basic mechanisms of anti-arrhythmic drug action. Over the years, a variety of fundamental advances have been made with respect to understanding the clinical pharmacology of these agents. For example, the observation that the administration of certain drugs to prevent ventricular arrhythmias actually leads to an increase in cardiovascular mortality was performed by Dan Roden and colleagues and led to a fundamental shift in the thinking that not all anti-arrhythmic therapy is beneficial. More recently, a better understanding of the structure, function, and signaling mechanisms of sodium, potassium, and calcium channels that contribute to the normal human heart beat has been a focus of work by Drs. Murray and Roden. Dr. Knollman is exploring the role of calcium signaling in the pathogenesis of cardiac arrythmias. A major thrust of research in this component of the division is also related to a determination of the genetic components of the human response to antiarrhythmic agents. Dr. Roden and colleagues are members of the Pharmacogenomics Network, an NIH funded network, and are actively engaged in research examining the genetic basis for the interindividual variability in anti-arrhythmic drug response.
Human Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Neural Dysfunction
Senior Investigators: David Robertson, Mike Stein, Italo Biaggioni, Andre Diedrich, Nancy Brown and David Harrision. This is a broad-based component of the division that spans several important areas of research related to human cardiovascular function. Nancy Brown has a particular interest in the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and how therapeutic manipulation of this axis results in the prevention or amelioration of common cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and heart failure. To undertake her work, she utilized a variety of biochemical and genetic approaches. Dr. Stein is interested in factors related to normal and abnormal vascular function in diseases ranging from systemic lupus erythematosus to atherosclerosis. An important component of their research utilizes pharmacogenetics. Dr. Harrison's research is on inflammation and immunity which are believed to be intimately related to oxidative injury. His research has shown that the central nervous system plays an essential role in T cell activatin in hypertension and vascular dysfunction.
The second component of this arm of the division studies the role of the autonomic nervous system in human physiology and pathophysiology. Drs. Robertson, Biaggioni, and Diedrich have applied basic pharmacologic approaches to understanding human disorders of autonomic dysfunction. Their work has defined a fundamental role for deficiencies in various dopaminergic metabolizing enzymes in these diseases and has elucidated the role of adenosine as a modulator of vascular tone.
Bone and Cancer Pharmacology
The Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology (VCBB) was created to investigate diseases of bone and mineral metabolism. Investigators associated with the VCBB study the mechanisms regulating bone remodeling and repair, cancer-induced bone disease, osteomyelitis, fracture repair, and embryonic bone development. Our goals are to unravel novel biological mechanisms and to develop new treatments and diagnostic tools that can improve the quality of life for patients with bone destruction due to disease or trauma. Access to multiple state-of-the-art instruments and cores at VUMC and Vanderbilt University allows us to perform molecular, cellular and biochemical studies, and to precisely quantify changes in bone volume, architecture, biomechanical properties and histology upon gene alterations, growth, aging, disease, trauma, or pharmacologic treatments. Students from multiple departments, including Medicine, Cancer Biology, Pharmacology, and Engineering are actively involved in this research activity. The active VCBB research program is detailed in the tabs above. Feel free to contact the project leaders or associated students/post-docs if you have questions about projects and if you have interests in joining our group.
Scott A. Guelcher, Director
Pharmacoepidemiology
Senior Investigators: Mike Stein, Kathy Murray. Members of Clinical Pharmacology work closely with Dr. Wayne Ray and others in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology to study the effects of drugs in large populations. This work has focused on the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal adverse effects of anti-inflammatory drugs, and the cardiovascular toxicity of antibiotics and psychotropic medications. The studies are performed as part of the mission of the Vanderbilt CERT (Centers for Education and Research on Therapeutics) a research program administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).