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acad. S.V.Anichkov
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(812) 234-2705 The Department of Pharmacology of IEM was founded in 1924 under the guidance of N.P. Kravkov. It was reestablished in 1948 by Sergei V. Anichkov. The basic problems of pharmacology from the viewpoint of nervism were studied here, new neurotropic medicines and mechanisms of their activity had been searched and investigated. The Department of Neuropharmacology, named after S.V. Anichkov is headed the corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Honored science worker of RF, professor N.S.Sapronov. Nowadays the Department is the first-rate scientific research center, dealing with fundamental and applied aspects of pharmacology. The Department consists of two laboratories: laboratory of the pharmacology of visceral systems — headed by a corresponding member of the RAMS N.S Sapronov, and laboratory of the chemistry and pharmacology of drugs— headed by Honored science worker of RF, professor N.A.Losev.
S. V. Anichkov often said that pharmacology
is ultimately the pharmacology of the central nervous system. So, the
most important trend in the department work is to search for and study
the mechanism of action of new neurotropic agents. The development of
a new medicinal agent is a complicated multi-staged process which
includes molecular-pathogenetical investigations, choice of the
molecular target, conformation analysis and synthesis, screening,
pharmacological analysis, investigation of pharmacodynamics,
pharmacokinetics and metabolism, toxicological investigations,
elucidation of the mechanisms of the effects, preclinical and clinical
tests. That is why the multiprofile character of the investigations is
the distinctive feature of the Department of neuropharmacology. Joint
efforts of chemists, pharmacologists and biochemists give successful
results in searching for new highly effective medicines trying to
imitate the biologically active substances existing in the nature and
living organism.
Selective modulators of CK2, 1-alkyl-4,5-di(N-methylcarbamoil) imidazoles were used to study the signal cascade CK2. This process was shown to include autophosphorylation and activation of CK2, phosphorylation of the transcription factor HMG14 and myosin-like chromatin proteins, change of the conformation and transcription activity of chromatin, synthesis and phosphorylation of the synapsosomal proteins. The signal cascade CK2 changes at prolonged adaptation, training, abnormal embryogenesis and aging. Since CK2 integrates external signals and transmits them into the nucleus, it is supposed that the CK2 modulators can imitate hormonal regulation of the brain gene expression and optimize the genetic control of the synaptic plasticity and long-term memory. So, using the modulators of CK2 is thought to be a new approach for pharmacological correction of impaired memory resulting from lowered gene expression.
In the Department of neuropharmacology the topographic models of the binding site of the ion channel of N-cholinoreceptor are used to synthesize highly selective N-cholinoblockers of parasympathetic ganglia. The application of the selective blockers of parasympathetic ganglia allows to reduce the undesirable central effects but preserve the functions of peripheral M-cholinoreceptors that provides the organ's ability of self-regulation. Following the traditions, the Department has been searching for blockers of proton-activating ion channels which can be of practical interest as analgetics. New substances of a positive and negative types of action are also being searched for, which can influence the dophaminergic system. Some figures by Boris Reikhardt:
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Head of the Department
The
present-day ideas of the quality of life require considerably higher
efficiency of treatment of not only diseases of the central nervous
system, but also the treatment of chronic visceral disorders of the
neurogenic nature (diseases of the cardio-vascular, and
gastro-duodenal systems and so on). 
A
characteristic feature of the present-day pharmacology is the priority
of molecular investigations. The methods of molecular mechanics and
theoretical conformation analysis allow the modeling of the
ligand-receptor interaction. The Department performs synthesis of the
ligands of different subtypes of the receptors of excitatory amino
acids. During the recent years new antagonists (derivatives of
heterocyclic dicarboxylic acids), "superacid" agonists (derivatives of
N-phthalamoil L-glutaminic acid) and partial agonists (derivatives of
N- substituted aspartic acid) of NMDA receptors have been created
which are able, depending on the dosage, to inhibit or block the NMDA-induced
convulsions. These substances were used to model the active center of
NMDA-receptor and the interaction of the receptor with the agonist and
antagonist molecules. The model of the recognizing site of NMDA-receptor
allows to obtain not only qualitative but also quantitative
characteristics of the interaction of the ligand with the molecular
target, and ultimately to design molecules with the predetermined type
of biological activity. The development of epilepsy, Alzheimer's
disease and Huntington's chorea, psychotic and depressive conditions
are associated with disturbances in the field of exitatory amino acid
transmission. The possibility to interfere in the work of this system
creates the preconditions for a successful correction of ischemic
states, convulsive and degenerative diseases of the brain.
