Function of PDEs will be topic of Distinguished Science in Medicine Lecture

The function of compounds that help get rid of cellular messengers will be the topic of the Distinguished Science in Medicine Lecture by Joseph Beavo, professor of pharmacology.

His talk, titled Phosphodiesterases: From Lab Bench to Bedside, will be given at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 19, in Hogness Auditorium of the UW Health Sciences Center. Please note new time.

Common PDE inhibitors are drugs like sildenafil citrate, which helps produce an erection by increasing blood flow to the penis, and theophylline, which reduces asthma by dilating the bronchial muscles.

Beavo's research team is looking for new ways to regulate PDEs in the body. One area of their research looks at regulating one type of PDE in a cell without affecting other types. They are also looking at the molecular structure of PDEs to better understand their function.