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.

📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Conserved Molecular Responses to Arsenite Exposure in Drosophila melanogaster

By combining time-resolved transcriptomics and metabolomics in *Drosophila melanogaster*, this study demonstrates that arsenic exposure triggers conserved molecular responses—ranging from detoxification pathways to diabetic-like metabolic shifts—that mirror human disease signatures, establishing the fruit fly as a robust model for studying arsenic-induced pathology.

Smoot, S. R., Tourigny, J. P., Holsopple-Bowen, J. M., Fitt, A. J., Pena-Garcia, Y., Lowe, M. R., Rose, D. A., Zolman, N (…)2026-02-10
📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Disulfiram Protects Against Diet-Induced Obesity by Reprogramming Systemic Lipid Partitioning Independent of GSDMD

This study reveals that disulfiram protects against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance through a GSDMD-independent mechanism involving the context-dependent reprogramming of systemic lipid partitioning, rather than via the previously hypothesized suppression of inflammasome signaling.

Nagareddy, P. R., Kanuri, B., Varshney, R. R., Maremanda, K. P., Nitin, N., Akomea, A., chattopadhyay, D., Yeh, S. T.-Y. (…)2026-02-09
📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Tracing PFAS Transfer from Mother to the Fetoplacental Unit: Insights from Trimester-Specific Maternal Serum Profiles

This study of the Glowing birth cohort reveals that transplacental transfer efficiency of PFAS increases linearly across pregnancy, with early-to-mid gestation maternal levels serving as the strongest predictors for placental and cord concentrations, while highlighting distinct trimester-specific patterns and the critical role of placental PFOS and PFOA in determining fetal exposure.

Campbell, K. A., Barr, D. B., Morris, A. J., Yakimavets, V., Panuwet, P., Turner, D., Havens, L. A., Eick, S. M., Shanka (…)2026-02-05
📄 pharmacology and toxicology

Model Ensembling and Machine Learning Approaches to Predict the First Dose of Amoxicillin in Intensive Care

This study demonstrates that model ensembling and machine learning approaches significantly outperform standard dosing and single-model methods in predicting the optimal first dose of amoxicillin for intensive care patients, thereby enhancing target attainment without requiring initial concentration measurements.

Mihaly, L., Gregoire, N., Magreault, S., Franck, B., Krekounian, O., Woillard, J.-B., Aranzana-Climent, V.2026-02-05