Drug Metabolism; Drug Disposition; Development of New Drugs; Pharmacogenetics; Host Factors that Influence Drug Metabolism and Disposition

Dr. Vesell's research interests include fundamental aspects of drug action from the molecular to the clinical. He has identified specific host factors, both genetic and environmental, that cause large variations in drug response. He has developed new methodology to facilitate such investigations, including several model drugs now widely used for this purpose. In addition, he has worked to develop a new drug, pyrazinoylguanidine (PZG), for the treatment of hypertensive diabetic patients. This drug has remarkable properties. It corrects fundamental metabolic abnormalities of diabetes mellitus by decreasing blood concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids and cholesterol, thereby enhancing the insulin mediated passage of glucose across cell membranes.