The are two research developments featured this week in ScienceDaily that may make surgical operations in the future a less traumatic experience for patients.

Dr. Steffen E. Meiler's research team from Medical College of Georgia Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine carried out studies in C. elegans worms to determine genes that influence patients' response to anesthetics. Out of 637 genes, they were able to identify 10 genes -nine that are hypersensitive and one that is resistant - that are biological modifiers of the anesthetic effects of drugs. Dr. meiler says:

"These are modifier genes that influence the effect, the degree, the extent of the anesthetic effect. We cannot yet say these are direct targets of volatile anesthetics. That is to be tested in another series of studies."

Ultimately, the goal is to design anesthetic drugs "that have the desired effect of rendering a patient unconscious during surgery without affecting other brain functions that lead to adverse effects", he adds.

One of the most common post-surgical side effects of anesthetics is nausea or vomitting. According to Duke University Medical Center researchers led by Dr. Tong Joo Gan, M.D., compared to current anti-emetic drugs currently used today, a new class of drugs called NK-1 receptor antagonists have been proven more effective as shown in its Phase III clinical trials.

Compared to existing drugs, the NK-1 receptor antagonist blocks at a different site the cascade of biological signals leading to nausea and vomiting. Specifically, 95 percent of patients taking the NK-1 receptor antagonist before surgery did not experience vomiting 24 hours after surgery, compared to 74 percent for the most commonly used drug, ondansetron. The results were similar 48 hours after surgery, 93 percent vs. 67 percent.

However, although the new drug proved more effective than odansetron in reducing the incidence of vomitting, there was little difference between the two drugs when it comes to reducing nausea. Gan said that combining the NK-1 receptor antagonist with other anti-nausea medications should be further explored.

Sources:
Tiny Worms Paving Way For Better AnestheticsNew Class Of Drug Reduces Post-operative Vomiting