NON-STEROIDAL HUMAN PERFORMANCE ENHANCING AGENTS

INDIAN DRUGS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 7-25
Author(s):  
Gaurav Mehta ◽  
Maithili Joshi ◽  
Shreerang Joshi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Chemical Biology ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Isolation And Purification ◽  
Chemical Substances ◽  
Methods Of Synthesis ◽  
Performance Enhancers ◽  
Performance Enhancing Substances ◽  
Performance Enhancing

Multiple studies have been conducted, many within the last 3-5 years, to develop a deeper understanding into how certain chemical substances enhance and improve certain aspects of our performance, both mental and physical. The successful synthesis, isolation and purification of such human performance enhancing substances have led to breakthroughs not only in the treatment of debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, but also have a significant impact on endurance training. While the chief use of such performance enhancing agents is in the treatment of diseases like anaemia, depression, attention deficit and neurodegenerative disorders, such substances are also misused and sometimes abused in sport. This review highlights 6 major substances used as performance enhancers, namely, creatine, racetams, melatonin, caffeine, cholinergics and EPO. The six substances enhance different features of human performance. The chemistry of these substances, their chemical biology, methods of synthesis and latest data obtained from various clinical trials are discussed.

Application of Monoterpenoids and their Derivatives for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (39) ◽  
pp. 5327-5346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin P. Volcho ◽  
Sergey S. Laev ◽  
Ghulam Md Ashraf ◽  
Gjumrakch Aliev ◽  
Nariman F. Salakhutdinov
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Heterogeneous Group ◽  
Neuroprotective Activity ◽  
Severe Loss ◽  
Neurotrophic Activity ◽  
Full Proof ◽  
Effective Treatments

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease are a heterogeneous group of disorders with the progressive and severe loss of neurons. There are no full proof cures for these diseases, and only medicines are available that can alleviate some of the symptoms. Developing effective treatments for the NDDs is a difficult but necessary task. Hence, the investigation of monoterpenoids which modulate targets applicable to many NDDs is highly relevant. Many monoterpenoids have demonstrated promising neuroprotective activity mediated by various systems. It can form the basis for elaboration of agents which will be useful both for the alleviation of symptoms of NDDs and for the treatment of diseases progression and also for prevention of neurodegeneration. The further developments including detections of monoterpenoids and their derivatives with high neuroprotective or neurotrophic activity as well as the results of qualified clinical trials are needed to draw solid conclusions regarding the efficacy of these agents.

scholarly journals Targeting for Success: Demonstrating Proof-of-Concept with Mechanistic Early Phase Clinical Pharmacology Studies for Disease-Modification in Neurodegenerative Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1615
Author(s):  
Maurits F. J. M. Vissers ◽  
Jules A. A. C. Heuberger ◽  
Geert Jan Groeneveld
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Failure Rate ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Disease Modifying ◽  
Early Phase Clinical Trials ◽  
Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers ◽  
Response Biomarkers

The clinical failure rate for disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) that slow or stop disease progression has been nearly 100% for the major neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), with many compounds failing in expensive and time-consuming phase 2 and 3 trials for lack of efficacy. Here, we critically review the use of pharmacological and mechanistic biomarkers in early phase clinical trials of DMTs in NDDs, and propose a roadmap for providing early proof-of-concept to increase R&D productivity in this field of high unmet medical need. A literature search was performed on published early phase clinical trials aimed at the evaluation of NDD DMT compounds using MESH terms in PubMed. Publications were selected that reported an early phase clinical trial with NDD DMT compounds between 2010 and November 2020. Attention was given to the reported use of pharmacodynamic (mechanistic and physiological response) biomarkers. A total of 121 early phase clinical trials were identified, of which 89 trials (74%) incorporated one or multiple pharmacodynamic biomarkers. However, only 65 trials (54%) used mechanistic (target occupancy or activation) biomarkers to demonstrate target engagement in humans. The most important categories of early phase mechanistic and response biomarkers are discussed and a roadmap for incorporation of a robust biomarker strategy for early phase NDD DMT clinical trials is proposed. As our understanding of NDDs is improving, there is a rise in potentially disease-modifying treatments being brought to the clinic. Further increasing the rational use of mechanistic biomarkers in early phase trials for these (targeted) therapies can increase R&D productivity with a quick win/fast fail approach in an area that has seen a nearly 100% failure rate to date.

scholarly journals The Perspectives of Amateur Soccer Players and their Coaches on the Use of Performance Enhancing Substances

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Thanujj Kisten ◽  
Rowena Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Youth Sports ◽  
Nutritional Supplements ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Young Athletes ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Educational Programmes ◽  
Performance Enhancing Substances ◽  
Performance Enhancing

Adolescent and youth sports seem to have progressively developed in South Africa to the point where young athletes are considering doping and the use of performance-enhancing substances (PES). This study determined the perspectives of U-19 soccer players and their coaches in the eThekwini region, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, on the use of supplements and drugs. Male participants (n = 449) playing first team soccer from development clubs in the eThekwini region, and their respective coaches (n = 30), volunteered to participate in this study. A questionnaire was administered to players and coaches were interviewed. Soccer players and their coaches believed that consuming prohibited substances in sport was unethical. The majority of the players (73.9% either agreed or strongly agreed) and coaches believed that doping in soccer is on the increase. About a quarter of the players consumed nutritional supplements and smoked cannabis. Anti-doping educational programmes and behaviour change interventions are vital in order to educate and transform athletes’ and coaches’ perspectives on doping and PES, and their resultant behaviour.

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