Research Spotlight > Archives
Mark Stratton, Pharm.D., BCPS, GCP, FASHP
Dr. Mark Stratton joined the College of Pharmacy in 2001 as Professor and Herbert and Dorothy Langsam Endowed Chair in Geriatric Pharmacy. His main research interests are in geriatric pharmacotherapies with a particular emphasis on seniors over the age of 75 years. Recent funding for Dr. Stratton included a Presbyterian Health Foundation grant entitled: “Analysis of Treatment for Hyperlipidemia in the Old-Old.” Dr. Stratton authored an article “Disparities in the Prevalence of Medication Therapy for Hyperlipidemia in the Elderly” that covered the results of this research and the article was published in The Consultant Pharmacist volume 22 number 10 October 2007.
The leading cause of death in people 75 years of age and older is atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). Dr. Stratton states that this demographic population is under-represented in research pertaining to CAD as well as most other cardiovascular diseases. His research regarding hyperlipidemia has shown that older people were prescribed therapy less frequently than younger people, that women were prescribed therapy less frequently than men, that Caucasians were prescribed therapy more frequently than African-Americans, and that those living in a nursing facility were prescribed therapy less frequently than those living in other settings. Dr. Stratton also feels that while these differences in rates of therapy were statistically significant, more research needs to be done before the results can translate to a meaningful clinically significant phenomenon.
He is also actively securing funding for the development of a program to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacists who would provide medication therapy management for home bound elders.
Dr. Stratton is the 2008 recipient of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) Leadership in Education Award. This award recognizes the unique and innovative educational endeavors of ASCP members. Dr. Stratton will be presented with the award by the ASCP Midyear Conference in May 2008.
Biographical Sketch | Research Spotlight Archives
Kelly Standifer, Ph.D.
Dr. Kelly Standifer joined the College of Pharmacy as Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research interests, ultimately, is to develop alternative therapeutic options (to morphine) for the treatment of severe pain. The newest member of the opioid receptor family, opioid receptor like-1 receptor (ORL1), and its endogenous agonist, orphanin FQ/nociceptin (OFQ/N), have been strongly implicated in the development of morphine tolerance. Chronic morphine treatment increases levels of OFQ/N; blocking the actions of OFQ/N significantly reduce the extent to which the analgesic actions of morphine are reduced. Using human neuronal cell lines that natively express mu and ORL1 receptors, we study the cellular mechanisms of ORL1 and mu opioid receptor activation (by the endogenous peptides OFQ/N and Dynorphin, and the synthetic agonists, DAMGO and morphine), and the cellular mechanisms of ORL1- and mu opioid receptor-mediated mu and ORL1 tolerance and cross-tolerance. Acutely, OFQ/N activates protein kinase C (PKC), which activates and translocates G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) and GRK3 to the cell membrane where GRK2 can quickly desensitize the mu opioid receptor in the presence of a mu opioid agonist such as morphine. Our next step is to determine where these changes occur in vivo, and how they might be manipulated to reduce the extent of morphine tolerance development.
ORL1 desensitization is produced by GRK3. Tolerance induced by prolonged exposure to OFQ/N and/or morphine treatment also involves GRK. Similar to morphine, prolonged OFQ/N treatment (24 h or more) upregulates GRK levels. Ultimately, though, it is the increased availability of GRK that produces the rapid tolerance and/or cross-tolerance upon challenge with an agonist. We are in the process of studying ORL1 phosphorylation sites, and how mutation of these sites affects receptor function.
Randle Gallucci
Wound Healing
Dr. Randle Gallucci recently received an RO3 award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health (NIAAA, NIH). The two year award is $100,000 in direct costs and will be active from April 1, 2006 through March 31, 2008. The name of the research is "Gender Differences in Liver IL-6R Expression."
An R03 is considered a small grant award mechanism. It is designed for very targeted areas of research which can be accomplished with a restricted budget in a smaller timeframe.
When asked about this research, Dr. Gallucci explained that his laboratory is investigating why women have worse alcoholic liver disease as compared to men. It looks like it has something to do with increased inflammation in the liver. The lab has found a specific inflammatory gene (interleukin 6 receptor) is increased in the livers of alcohol consuming female rats as compared to males. He hopes to find out why this gene is upregulated in females, and perhaps manipulate its function to see if that will decrease alcoholic liver damage.
Dr. Gallucci also has an RO1 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIGMS, NIH) entitled, "Identification of an IL-6 induced keratinocyte motogen." This project deals with the role of inflammation in skin wound healing. The point of the project to find out how a specific inflammatory gene is aiding healing, and through its manipulation help patients with chronic ulcers. This is a five year award, and this past year May 1, 2005 through April 30, 2006 marked the third year of this research.
Thomas
Pento
Breast Cancer
Cancer has been the focus of Dr. Tom Pento’s research for the past 20 years. Dr. Pento, a pharmacy professor at the College of Pharmacy, and a leading researcher at the OU Cancer Center, said scientists will not beat cancer with one drug or one treatment, but will soon succeed in producing medicines that will stop the disease that affects nearly half of all men and a little over one third of all women in the United States in their lifetimes.
Working with Dr. Xiao-Ping Zang, Pento’s lab is exploring Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF), an element produced in the supportive tissue around the tumor. KGF speeds the growth and migration of cancer cells.
In other research, Dr. Pento is working with Dr. Roger Harrison, an OU chemical engineering professor, to develop a protein compound that would deprive a cancer cell of a specific protein it needs to spread. They have applied for a patent on their work and hope to turn it into a viable treatment in 10-15 years.