Pharmacology and toxicology explore how substances interact with living systems, ranging from the development of life-saving medicines to understanding the dangers of chemical exposure. This field sits at the critical intersection of chemistry and biology, asking essential questions about how drugs work, how the body processes them, and what happens when things go wrong. It is a dynamic area where researchers constantly strive to improve patient safety while discovering new therapeutic possibilities.

At Gist.Science, we bridge the gap between complex research and public understanding by curating the latest preprints from bioRxiv in this vital category. Our team processes every new submission from bioRxiv as it appears, transforming dense scientific data into both plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries. This ensures that whether you are a specialist or a curious reader, you can grasp the significance of these emerging findings without getting lost in jargon.

Below are the most recent pharmacology and toxicology papers from bioRxiv, each accompanied by our expert analysis to help you navigate the latest scientific breakthroughs.

Steroid-based Tide Quencher 1 probes enable real-time mapping of novel non-canonical cholesterol sites on the M1 muscarinic receptor

This study introduces steroid-based Tide Quencher 1 (TQ1) probes that enable real-time, residue-level mapping of novel non-canonical cholesterol-binding sites on the M1 muscarinic receptor, overcoming traditional assay limitations to facilitate structure-guided drug discovery targeting allosteric lipid-GPCR interactions.

Chetverikov, N., Szanti-Pinter, E., Jurica, J., Vodolazhenko, M., Budesinsky, M., Zima, V., Svoboda, M., Dolejsi, E., Janouskova-Randakova, A., Urbankova, A., Jakubik, J., Kudova, E.2026-04-01📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Targeting Protease-activated Receptor 4 (PAR4) Protects Against Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in Ischemia Reperfusion Injury

This study demonstrates that targeting Protease-activated Receptor 4 (PAR4) with the antagonist VU6073819 significantly mitigates kidney injury, inflammation, and mortality in a mouse model of ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury, establishing PAR4 as a promising therapeutic target.

Webb, E. M., Cao, S., Pan, Y., Zhang, M.-Z., Harris, R., Boutaud, O., Bouchard, J. L., Jones, C. K., Lindsley, C. W., Hamm, H. E.2026-03-30📄 pharmacology and toxicology

The metalloproteinase inhibitor Marimastat improves skeletal muscle regeneration when administered intravenously after myonecrosis induced by the venom of Bothrops asper

This study demonstrates that intravenous administration of the metalloproteinase inhibitor Marimastat, either alone or combined with a phospholipase A2 inhibitor, significantly improves skeletal muscle regeneration and reduces fibrosis in mice even when given 24 hours after Bothrops asper venom-induced myonecrosis.

Zamora, A., Rucavado, A., Escalante, T., Gutierrez, J. M., Camacho, E.2026-03-27📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Nonlinear Mixed-Effects and Full Bayesian Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Ceftolozane-Tazobactam in Critically Ill Patients

This study demonstrates that incorporating literature-derived priors into Bayesian hierarchical modeling enables a more robust and physiologically consistent population pharmacokinetic characterization of ceftolozane-tazobactam in critically ill patients with small sample sizes, overcoming the limitations of traditional nonlinear mixed-effects modeling to better optimize dosing strategies.

Okunska, P., Borys, M., Rypulak, E., Piwowarczyk, P., Szczukocka, M., Raszewski, G., Czuczwar, M., Wiczling, P.2026-03-26📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Chronotherapy as a Potential Strategy to Reduce Ifosfamide-Induced Encephalopathy: A Preclinical Study in a Murine Model

This preclinical study demonstrates that administering Ifosfamide at 13 Hours After Light Onset (HALO) in mice significantly minimizes multi-organ toxicity, including encephalopathy, by aligning treatment with the drug's circadian tolerance peak.

Chennoufi, M. M., Dridi, D., Lasram, K., Ben Abdeljalil, N., Omezzine, A., Mauvieux, B., Touitou, Y., Boughattas, N. A., Masmoudi, A. S.2026-03-25📄 pharmacology and toxicology

In vitro investigation and evaluation of the antidiabetic potential of the ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus using starch digestion, glucose diffusion, glucose uptake, and DPPH assays

This study demonstrates that the ethanolic extract of *Asparagus racemosus* exhibits significant antidiabetic potential by inhibiting carbohydrate digestion and absorption, enhancing glucose uptake, and displaying antioxidant activity, likely due to its rich content of phytochemicals such as flavonoids and saponins.

Rahman, M. S., Hannan, J., Tasnim, R., Bhuiyan, M. M. M., Basu, C., Sammo, S. H., Sarkar, B. C., Islam, S. T., khan, S.2026-03-25📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Integrated evaluation of immune system perturbation using structural, functional and cellular immunotoxicity endpoints in rats

This study demonstrates that an integrated evaluation framework combining structural, functional, and cellular immunotoxicity endpoints in rats effectively characterizes immune system perturbation by showing concordant evidence of lymphoid depletion, impaired adaptive immune responses, and specific lymphocyte subset reductions induced by a reference immunosuppressive compound.

Lomash, V., Srinivasan, M., Pitthala, M., Sayeed, A., Venkatesan, G., Joseph, B.2026-03-25📄 pharmacology and toxicology