Peptides MEX / Glossary
Pharmacodynamics: mechanisms and measurable responses
A proposed mechanism and a measured response play different roles in interpreting a study.
Updated · Sources and editorial standards
From interaction to response
Pharmacodynamics studies substance actions in living systems, including interactions with cellular components and their consequences. Receptor binding can be one part of that process; it does not automatically describe the entire response.
Sources: [1]
Read the assay and its endpoint
If a paper measures an intracellular signal, retain the signal name in your summary. Do not replace it with a broader clinical claim. Check the experimental system, comparator and whether the result is a hypothesis or an observation.
Sources: [1]
Questions about this reference
Is pharmacodynamics another name for pharmacokinetics?
No. One examines actions and responses; the other examines the time course of the substance in the body.
Sources and original reading
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