Papers are embargoed until date and time of presentation.
Click here for Abstract 1, here for Abstract 2, and here for Abstract 3.
HONOLULU - The latest research from Canadian scientists will be presented at the 2000 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, December 14-19, 2000.
The weeklong scientific meeting, held once every five years, is hosted by the American Chemical Society, in conjunction with its counterparts in Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
Canadian chemists will present new medical findings on topics including (papers are embargoed for release until date and time of presentation):
Chronic pain - As part of an ongoing search for better drugs for pain, researchers in Canada are developing a class of drugs (nonpeptidic opioid receptor agonists) that could have fewer side effects and a lower potential for abuse. At least one appears promising as an oral drug for the treatment of chronic pain. (MEDI 12, 8:45 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 14)
Hepatitis C - Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major disease worldwide, has no known cure. But researchers are developing potent, highly specific inhibitors of HCV protease, an enzyme involved in the maturation of the virus, that may lead to effective treatments of the disease. (MEDI 557, 1:35 p.m., Friday, Dec. 15)
Non-insulin dependent diabetes - Researchers have identified a promising new target for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes and the prevention of obesity. The enzyme target, protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTB-1B), appears to be a key regulator of metabolism. In studies of mice put on high fat diets to induce diabetes and obesity, blocking this enzyme resulted in lean mice that were insulin sensitive. (MEDI 236, 9:20 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 17)
More than 8,000 research papers will be presented during this year's International Chemical Congress, which is sponsored jointly by the ACS, the Chemical Society of Japan, the Canadian Society of Chemistry, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.