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Toxicology is currently contributing to the field of cancer research, since some toxins can be used as drugs for killing tumor cells. One prime example of this is ribosome-inactivating proteins, tested in the treatment of leukemia. [2]
If a drug can bind to unexpected proteins, receptors, or enzymes that can alter different pathways other than those desired for treatment, severe downstream effects can develop. An example of this is the drug eplerenone (aldosterone receptor antagonist), which should increase aldosterone levels, but has shown to produce atrophy of the prostate. [3]
Medical toxicology is a subspecialty of medicine focusing on toxicology and providing the diagnosis, management, and prevention of poisoning and other adverse effects due to medications, occupational and environmental toxicants, and biological agents. [1]
Pharmacotherapy, also known as pharmacological therapy or drug therapy, is defined as medical treatment that utilizes one or more pharmaceutical drugs to improve ongoing symptoms (symptomatic relief), treat the underlying condition, or act as a prevention for other diseases (prophylaxis).
Forensic toxicology is a multidisciplinary field that combines the principles of toxicology with expertise in disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation of death, poisoning, and drug use. [1]
In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the way by which a drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body. [ 1 ] Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance is applied.
The therapeutic index (TI; also referred to as therapeutic ratio) is a quantitative measurement of the relative safety of a drug with regard to risk of overdose.It is a comparison of the amount of a therapeutic agent that causes toxicity to the amount that causes the therapeutic effect. [1]
Both pharmacology and toxicology are scientific disciplines that focus on understanding the properties and actions of chemicals. [23] However, pharmacology emphasizes the therapeutic effects of chemicals, usually drugs or compounds that could become drugs, whereas toxicology is the study of chemical's adverse effects and risk assessment. [23]