Proc, West, Pharmacol. Soe. 167-170 (1999) Special Supplement: Pharmacology at the Millennium Mexican Pharmacology at the Dawn of the New Millennium: Achievements and Challenges GILBERTO CASTANEDA-HERNANDEZ, Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Centro de Invest igacién y de Estudios Avanzados det Instituto Politécnico Nacional, ‘Apariado Postal 22026, 14000 México, D.F. In the last two decades, Mexican pharmacology has progressed as never before. At present, Mexican pharma- cologists are publishing in major international journals on a regular basis and a considerable number of graduate stu- dents are obtaining MS and PhD degrees in pharmacology in national academic institutions every year. However, several questions need to be posed on the role of Mexican pharmacology at the dawn of the new millennium: (W What is the real impact of Mexican pharmacology cn the global scientific community? ii) What is the impact of Mexican pharmacological re- search in the country's development? ii) What is the future of Mexican graduate students obtaining a degree in pharmacology? iv) What are the opportunities for success for Mexican pharmacologisis? Historically, Mexican science has not had the benefit of such a favorable environment as has been the case for the US, Canada and Western Europe. In fact, it can be considered that the modern development of biomedical sciences in Mexico dates back only 50 years (for a com- plete review on the history of Mexican pharmacology, please see [1-4]). During the 1950s and 1960s, decades of sustained economic growth, biomedical sciences thrived in Mexico, as scientific research was finally recognized as a national priority. This boom was particularly spectacular for pharmacology, thanks to the intervention of the phar- ‘maceutical industry. Syntex, a company initially based in Mexico City, developed a wide range of successful drug products and importantly promoted scientific research. Miles Laboratories established in Mexico City the Miles Institute of Experimental Therapeutics, the investigators there also having a strong impact in the main national academic institutions. This boom, however, suffered from a jack of continuity. Due to an absence of academic tradi- tion, graduate study programs were vaguely designed and objectives were seldom clear. Hence, graduate students were frequently discouraged. During the 1970s, there was a significant improvement in academic life, allowing graduate students to obtain MS and PhD degrees. Unfortunately, during this decade scien- tific work was markedly disturbed by politics. Universi- ties and other academic institutions were infiltrated by political groups and frequently closed by strikes, produc~ ing irreparable damages to many laboratories. A hostile environment was created for all research activities spon- sored by pharmaceutical industries, with the subsequent loss of income for academic institutions. The good news ‘was the creation of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) by the government, which pro- vided financial support fer research projects and for graduate students, promoting the generation of strong re- search groups. CONACYT allowed academic institutions to prosper, even in the absence of financial support from the pharmaceutical industry. The prevailing philosophy was “science for the people”, but the government failed in providing any program with concrete goals. Applied re- search was identified with industry and thus considered as “prostitution”. Conversely, basic science was considered 4s “pure”. Therefore, basic pharmacology prospered, but applied and clinical pharmacology were neglected. Iron cally, by the end of the 1970s nearly all the drug products used in therapeutics in Mexico were completely devel- oped abroad by foreign companies. The “science for the Mexican people” was not produced in Mexico, but in those countries referred to as “imperialists”. Mexican pharmacological research had little, if any, impact on the country's economy. By the 1980s, Mexican pharmacology was well estab- lished, although there was an important disproportion be~ tween basic and applied research. A considerable number of graduate students got their MS and PhD degrees and many went abroad for postdoctoral training. Mexican pharmacology proved to be so strong that it successfully survived the huge economical crises occurring in 1982 and 1986. The number of graduate students and of publi- cations in international journals continued to increase dur- ing the 1980s and 1990s. At present, it can be said that there is a Mexican pharmacological community, with firmly established research groups, that has started to gain international recognition One of the most important factors which has contri tuted to ending the isolation of Mexican pharmacological research is the influence of the Western Pharmacology Society (WPS). In 1982, WPS held its first joint meeting, with the Mexican Association for Pharmacology (AME- 167Special Supplement: Pharmacology at the Millennium ‘The beginnings ofethnopharmacology inthe America formans in the 16 century (the scroll symbols are speech glyphs). From Miguel Leén Portilla: Los Antiguos Mexicanos a través de sus Crénicas y sus Canaiares ( FAR) in Puerto Vallarta. This meeting had a tremendous psychological impact in the Mexican pharmacological ‘community, as graduate students and young investigators discovered that their research work was comparable to that of their colleagues from the US and Canada [5]. WPS has held two other joint meetings with AMEFAR: in Aca- pulco in 1991 and in Mazatlén in 1998. Since 1991, the Mexican pharmacological community has attended WPS meetings held not only in Mexico, but also in the US and Canada as well. Moreover, Mexican pharmacologists are now attending other international meetings on a regulat basis. Considering the present number and quality of pub- lications by Mexican pharmacologists, and their impact in scientific meetings, it can be said that the role of Mexican pharmacology in the international arena is significant, al- though still small. Notwithstanding, I am very optimistic on this issue. The trend is for the Mexican impact, at least in basic pharmacology, will increase steadily in the new millennium. Perhaps the biggest challenge for Mexican pharmacol- ogy in the immediate future is to establish its role in the economical development of the country. The divorce be- tween pharmaceutical industry and academic research is still apparent, although chings have substantially improved during the 1990s. It should be noted, however, that Mexi- can academic institutions are not providing the training presently required by the pharmaceutical industry and government regulatory agencies. This situation leaves Mexico at 2 huge disadvantage compared with the other North American countries, particularly in these times of globalization. Therefore, we urgently need to generate well-trained personnel in applied and clinical pharmacol- ogy, without neglecting basic pharmacology. ‘Another big challenge for the immediate future is the situation of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. A 3s: Spanish friars collecting information from Aztec in- 1961), considerable number of investigators with high levels of sophisticated training in several fields of basic pharma- cology has been recently incorporated into Mexican aca- demic institutions. Therefore, few positions for basic pharmacological research are now available. As in the other North American countries, graduate student pro- ‘grams in Mexico have been following a trend towards a reductionist approach, instead to a more integrative vision of pharmacology. Information on molecular receptor structure, second messenger systems and gene activa- tion/deactivation is being presently favored over whole animal preparations, which are even sometimes consid- ered as unfashionable, Consequently, recent graduates and postdoctoral students have considerable expertise in re- ceptor characterization and classification, but are unable to understand basic features of integrative physiology, such as homeostatic responses. Such an approach is lead- ing to the generation of ultra-specialized individuals who can be highly productive in a state-of-the-art laboratory, but unable to adequately teach pharmacology to medical and pharmacy students. Moreover, such individuals do not fit the present needs of Mexican pharmaceutical industries or governmental agencies that require a more broad per spective of pharmacology. Hence, graduate student pro- ‘grams in pharmacology should be revised in order to pre- vent a cul-de-sac situation in which individuals with a high level of sophisticated training are unable to find a job. An adequate balance between reductionist and inte- ‘grative approaches is needed in order to assure a wide spectrum of opportunities for graduate students, consider- ing the present conditions in Mexico. Copying or adapting programs from developed countries like the United States, ‘Canada and Western Europe does not appear to be an adequate solution. 168As stated above, there is a strong need for well-trained personnel in applied and clinical pharmacology by the Mexican pharmaceutical industry and governmental agen- cies, as well as by health-care institutions, But there are numerous opportunities for success in basic research for Mexican pharmacologists as well. In recent years, phar- macology has been enriched by molecular biology, open- ing fascinating research perspectives. The role of molecu- lar biology, however, should not be overestimated. Mo- lecular biology is a tool, not the heart of pharmacology. Few Mexican pharmacologists have access to molecular biology techniques due to their high cost. Those with enough financial support may follow the trend. It should be mentioned, however, that having all the molecular bi- ology paraphernalia does not assures the quality of phar- macological research. The name of the game is “generate a good hypothesis”. Since the goal of pharmacology is to understand drug actions from the molecular to the whole organism levels, molecular biology techniques are as valuable as classic pharmacological procedures, such as isolated organ and intact animal preparations. Those able to generate good hypotheses and to test them with the methods available will undoubtedly be successful, inde- pendently of the millions of dollars (or billions of pesos) invested in equipment. Special Supplement: Pharmacology at the Millennium. Pharmacologists in developed countries are frequently obsessed with being the first ones to arrive at an original discovery. Sometimes they want to go so fast, that they leave an important number of questions unresolved which can only be detected by those who follow at a slower, but steadier, pace, In many cases, particularly at the integra- tive level, such questions can be answered with relatively inexpensive methodologies if, once more, the right hy- potheses are generated. Here, indeed, lies an enormous niche of opportunities for Mexican pharmacologists. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: A substantial part of this manuscript was derived from several discussions with my good friends Francisco J. Flores-Murrieta and Wayne Laut. REFERENCES 1, Pardo EG & Vargas R: Annu Rev Pharmacol :13 (1961). 2. Villareal JE, Rodriguez-Carranza R, Aleéntara-Sucavia G, Medina Maldonado E, Morales-Aguilera A, Carvajal G & Biagi F: Gaceta Médica de México 111:182 (1976) Villarreal JE: Avance y Perspectiva 31:3 (1987), Hong E: Arch Med Res 26: S175 (1995), Burks T: Proc West Pharmacol Soc 41:293 (1998). 169,