A drug will not function unless it is bound to a receptor: a longstanding confusion in basic pharmacology

Authors

  • Partha S. Saha Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium

Keywords:

Receptor-independent drugs, Osmotic diuretics, Keratolytic agent, Chelating agents, Surfactants, Antacid, Protectants and adsorbents, Sucralfate, Laxatives, Cholestyramine, NAC

Abstract

The disparity between the general definition of a ‘drug’ and the wide-spread mechanism of actions of receptor-dependent drugs may often mislead to believe that a drug-receptor interaction is always indispensable for a drug to exert its action. This short review is intended to rectify this basic misconception in pharmacology with the aid of a list of examples of several receptor-independent drugs in context to their mode of actions.

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Published

2017-02-02

How to Cite

Saha, P. S. (2017). A drug will not function unless it is bound to a receptor: a longstanding confusion in basic pharmacology. International Journal of Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 2(6), 693–695. Retrieved from https://www.ijbcp.com/index.php/ijbcp/article/view/1351

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Section

Review Articles