ASPET

06/02/2026

This special collection from Molecular Pharmacology will celebrate the world-leading research showcased by attendees of the 5th Transatlantic ECI GPCR Symposium, a free online event organized for early-career investigators by early-career investigators to foster transatlantic knowledge exchange and collaborations within the GPCR community.

The symposium will cover key areas of GPCR research including structural and computational approaches, the cellular organization of GPCR signaling, the roles of GPCRs in health and disease, as well as GPCRs as drug targets and the novel tools and methodologies developed in the field. The Molecular Pharmacology special collection will include original research articles aligned with these topics, a limited number of commentaries and consideration for minireviews.

Learn more and submit your research: https://ow.ly/TjkK50Z6jYn

06/02/2026

ASPET was on Capitol Hill today with the Coalition of Health Funding (CHF) speaking with Congress on FY2027 appropriations issues including maintaining a consistent and robust funding stream, having grants funded, and other issues impacting NIH.

06/02/2026

Thomas Lamme, a PhD Candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, is the Molecular Pharmacology Highlighted Trainee Author for June 2026. His research focuses on how immune cells are guided towards the gut through a chemical navigation system involving CCL25 and its receptors CCR9 and ACKR4.

"I hope that my research contributes to a better understanding how proteins interact with each other and how these interactions can be modulated, which is important for developing new ways to influence biological processes.”

Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molpha.2026.100129

06/01/2026

Randy Hall, PhD, discusses the shift of public trust in scientists, which has fallen sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares how effective communication by scientists and social media are essential:

Why has trust in scientists declined, and what can be done about it? Numerous polls from 1990–2020 showed that scientists were trusted by a strong and stable majority of Americans. Since 2020, though, there has been a precipitous drop in public trust of scientists in the USA and around the world. ...

05/29/2026

Steer the future of pharmacology and toxicology! ASPET's influential journal, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, is seeking a new Editor-in-Chief, and the deadline to apply is June 1! Learn more and apply: https://ow.ly/Pco950Z4naz

05/28/2026

Under the moniker “Chloe the Scientist,” Chloe Kirk, PhD, has amassed a devoted social media following (with over 100K fans on Instagram). She introduces her audience, through a variety of engaging videos and podcasts, to topics like influential female scientists, the complications of academia, current scientific articles that have gained the attention of the wider public, and the implications of funding and politics on science.

We talked with Dr. Kirk about Science Communications, what advice she offers scientists on furthering their voice and reach, her particular path from the lab to the camera, and much more.

🔗 Meet Chloe The Scientist and explore more in the May issue of The Pharmacologist: https://thepharmacologist.org/chloe-the-scientist/

05/28/2026

Cancer that starts in the liver is called primary liver cancer. The most common type of primary liver cancer in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), this type of liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Cancer development is associated with profound metabolic changes, including alterations in lipid metabolism.

Because of its effects on lipid metabolism, lomitapide, a microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, has recently attracted interest as a potential anticancer agent. Given the central role of lipid handling in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we investigated the impact of lomitapide-mediated microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibition using complementary in vitro and in vivo models. Thus, a group from CAECIHS, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Rosario, Argentina, investigated the impact of lomitapide-mediated microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibition using complementary in vitro and in vivo models. This study showed that inhibition of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein exerts opposite effects on hepatocellular carcinoma depending on biological context, suppressing tumor cell growth in vitro while promoting tumor expansion in vivo. This study highlights the critical influence of stromal—tumor interactions on therapeutic outcomes and urges caution in repurposing lipid-modulating drugs for cancer treatment without accounting for tissue context: https://ow.ly/TXYw50Z4pGj

05/27/2026

Have you submitted your research to ASPET Discovery? This Gold Open Access journal covers a variety of areas in pharmacology, and its diverse editorial board ensures the presentation of rigorous, sound science. Learn why we're the perfect home for your work: https://ow.ly/nCS050Z4osP

05/27/2026

Join us for the ASPET Awardee Lecture Series, featuring three distinguished scientists presenting on different, exciting areas of science. These lectures are open to both ASPET members and non-members, and free to attend! Learn more and register: https://ow.ly/Ct9F50YSQ2C

05/26/2026

Nanobodies were crucial to identify GPCR crystal structures. As reviewed by MA Skiba from Ann Arbor, they are now evolving into therapeutics with a potential for highly specific target engagement that stabilize receptors in a distinct conformation. Read our recent Editor's Choice: https://ow.ly/mlvG50Z4nA8