Centre staff
Dr Kim Lawson
Senior lecturer in pharmacology
Phone 0114 225 3057
Email k.lawson@shu.ac.uk
Research interests
Dr Kim Lawson is a research pharmacologist with an international reputation in Drug Discovery Research. He has broad research experience gained in both academia and in multinational pharmaceutical industries. Specifically, Dr Lawson has research interests and initiatives in
- the identification of targets for the development of drugs for the treatment of fibromyalgia
- the understanding drug interaction with potassium channels
- potassium channels in chronic pain conditions
Recognition of his work has resulted in regular invitations as a consultant, to prepare publications, to give presentations and to be a member of expert advisory boards.
Pharmacology of potassium channels
Modulation of K channel activity offers a therapeutic advantage by influencing the stability of cells and as a mechanism to rectify pathophysiological states. Specific modulators (openers and blockers) have been identified for a limited number K channel subtypes. The scope of this field is emerging and the number of likely therapeutic indications for K channel modulators will increase as insight into the dynamics of expression of these channels in various diseases grows and the issues of required selectivity are resolved.
Current research is designed to gain greater understanding of the role of K channels in cell regulation and their potential as therapeutic targets. Programs of work have an emphasis on the rational design and evaluation of agents acting on BKCa channels and KATP channels. In addition, interaction of drug entities with hERG channels are being investigated for the development of an in silico prediction model of drug safety.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FM) is a chronic condition that presents with a complex of symptoms that include widespread pain, fatigue, dysfunctional sleep and cognitive disruption. FM is described as a condition of heightened generalized sensitization to sensory input, where the pathophysiology includes dysfunction of the CNS pain modulatory systems, dysfunction of the neuroendocrine system, and dysautonomia. Progress in the identification of effective treatments of FM has been made recently.
Current research is focused on the identification of drug targets to enable rational design of agents for the management of FM, exploration of improved methods of diagnosis and the investigation of the involvement of dysfunctional ion channels in the pathophysiology of FM.
Collaborators
- Dr N Mckay, BMRC, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
- Dr V Calderone, Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiology, Farmacologia e Biotechnologie, Universita di Pisa, Italy.
- Dr AM Bianucci, School of Pharmacy, Universita di Pisa, Italy
- P Stewart, Fibromyalgia Association UK, Stourbridge, UK
- Dr D Sellers, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Australia
Recent publications
Beard, S.M., Le T.K., Zhao, Y., Coleman, A., Ang, D., Roskell, N., and Lawson, K., (2011) Cost-effectiveness of duloxetine in the treatment of fibromyalgia. J Med Econ. 14(4), 463-476
Vahabi, B., Lawson K., McKay, NG. and Sellers, D.J. (2011) Phasic activity of urinary bladder smooth muscle in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat: effect of potassium channel modulators. Eur. J. Pharmacol., 660(2-3), 431-437.
Vahabi, B., McKay, NG., Lawson K. and Sellers, D.J. (2011) Identification and function of interstitial cells in the rat urinary bladder and the effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Br. J. Urol. Int., 107: 1480-7
Lawson, K. (2009) Pregabalin and fibromyalgia syndrome: a treatment option. Clin. Med: Ther., 1, 809-824.
Lawson, K., Shawcross, E. and Raphael, J.H. (2008) Function of potassium channels in blood mononuclear cells of patients with fibromyalgia. J. Pain Manage., 1(3), 289-294.
Lawson, K. (2008) Treatment Options and Patient Perspectives in the Management of Fibromyalgia: Future Trends. Neuropsych. Dis.Treat., 4(6), 1-14.
Lawson, K. (2008) Pharmacological Treatments of Fibromyalgia: Do Complex Conditions Need Complex Therapies? Drug Disc. Today., 13, 333-340.
Lawson, K., Shawcross, E. and Raphael, J.H. (2008) Insensitivity of Lymphocytes of Patients with Neuropathic Pain Conditions to K+ Channel Blockers. J. Pain Manage., 1(1), 43-48.
Lawson, K. (2007) Are Complex Therapies Required as Pharmacological Treatments of Fibromyalgia? Future Rheumatol., 2(6), 599-605.
Lawson, K. (2006) Emerging therapies and therapeutic targets for Fibromyalgia. Curr. Opin. Invest. Drugs, 7(7), 631-636.
Lawson, K. (2006) Potassium Channel Modulators in Pain Control. CNS Agents Med Chem., 6, 119-128.
Lawson, K. and McKay NG. (2006) Are potassium channels realistic therapeutic targets? Curr. Pharm. Design, 12(4), 459-470.
Lawson, K. (2002) Tricyclic antidepressants and fibromyalgia: what is the mechanism of action? Exp. Opin. Invest. Drugs, 11(10) 1437-1445.
Eisinger, J., Ayavou, T., Plantamura, A., Lawson, K. and Danneskiold-Samsoe, B. (2002) Lipid and protein peroxidations in fibromyalgia. Myalgies Intl., 2(3) 37-42.
Lawson, K. (2002) Are the symptoms of Fibromyalgia Syndrome related to abnormal potassium channel function? Myalgies Intl., 2(2), 25-30.
Lawson, K. and Dunne M.J. (2001) Peripheral channelopathies as targets for potassium channel openers. Exp. Opin. Invest. Drugs, 10(7), 1345-1359.
