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Bruce Cronstein is a Section Head in Immunopharmacology & Hematologic Pharmacology, in our Pharmacology and Drug Discovery faculty. Here he’s talking to Sarah Greene about his work on adenosine receptors.

Like many things in science, it’s taken us off in odd directions

Bruce is known for showing that anti-inflammatory drugs such as methotrexate work by increasing adenosine release at inflamed sites, and that coffee drinking can interfere with methotrexate function. Adenosine also plays a role in liver fibrosis and fatty liver (the same process as goes on in the generation of foie gras, but due to alcohol rather than force-feeding). He’s also been looking at how adenosine receptors and adenosine release can prevent post-menopausal osteoporosis, at least in mice.

The role of adenosine in fibrosis has also led to Bruce working with plastic surgeons, to develop caffeine and theophylline treatments to reduce scarring after surgery.