xPharm is a full-text database of pharmacology reference information about molecular targets, agents, related disorders, and the principles that govern their interactions. Produced by Elsevier MDL, xPharm can be used by bench scientists and clinicians for many purposes, including:
• Selecting appropriate targets for screening of new compounds
• Predicting adverse effects
• Identifying experts in selected areas of research
• Retrieving information for business plans and grants, and
• Preparing lecture materials.
Over 500 experts in the field have culled information from respected reference resources such as the Merck Index, Physician’s Desk Reference, Goodman & Gillman’s The Pharmacological Basis
of Therapeutics, MICROMEDEX, Drug Facts and Comparisons, and other prominent texts and journals.
Information is divided into the following four categories. Each entry contains hyperlinks to other relevant pages within xPharm.
Agents
· Information about drugs and other biochemical substances.
· Each entry includes the following sections: nomenclature; basic chemistry information; human pharmacokinetics; targets (pharmacodynamics); therapeutics (indications, agent-agent interactions, adverse effects, contraindications);
pre-clinical research.
· Browsable by target (e.g. agents targeting enzymes) or by therapeutic use (e.g. antifungal agents).
Targets
· Information about target molecules, proteins, and enzymes to which the agents listed above bind.
· Each entry includes the following sections: nomenclature; target structure; localization, ligands, substrates, ions; effectors, products; endogenous regulation; physiological function; pharmacological regulation; research tools; disorders.
· Browsable by ligand or substrate (e.g. insulin targets or nucleotide targets) or by SuperFamily (e.g. receptors, transporters, enzymes)
Disorders
· Major diseases and conditions affecting humans
· Each entry contains the following sections: definition; classification; consequences; associated disorders; etiology; epidemiology; pathophysiology; signs and symptoms; standard therapies; experimental therapies; animal models.
· Browsable by broad topics (e.g. cardiovascular disease, genetic errors in metabolism, immune system and inflammatory disorders)
Principles
· Encyclopedic information about pharmacology principles, including broad and specific topics.
· Entries are not structured, but include definitions and overviews of the topic along with figures, graphs, and charts. References are included with each entry.
· Browsable by broad topics, including pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, virology, organ systems, drug development.
xPharm can be accessed from the HSLS Databases by Title page at
<www.hsls.pitt.edu/resources/databases/> and is available via Remote Access.