The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2025/26: Introduction and Other Protein Targets

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery
• Biochemistry

Background:

• The British Journal of Pharmacology publishes biennial updates to the Concise Guide to Pharmacology.
• The guide provides a comparative overview of drug target families.
• The 2025/26 edition is the seventh in this series.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a clear, accessible, and well-structured summary of human drug targets and their interactions.
• To offer expert-curated recommendations of selective pharmacological tools for target identification.
• To serve as a permanent, citable, point-in-time record of pharmacological information.

Main Methods:

• Summarization of key pharmacological properties for approximately 1900 human drug targets.
• Inclusion of nearly 7000 interactions involving around 4400 ligands.
• Focus on six key areas: G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes, and transporters.

Main Results:

• The guide details the pharmacology of approximately 1900 human drug targets and 7000 interactions.
• It provides official IUPHAR (International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology) classification and nomenclature where applicable.
• Expert-curated recommendations for 'Gold Standard' selective pharmacological tools are included.

Conclusions:

• The Concise Guide to Pharmacology 2025/26 serves as a valuable, stable reference for researchers.
• It complements the online Guide to Pharmacology website by providing a citable snapshot of current knowledge.
• The guide facilitates drug discovery by offering curated information on drug targets and pharmacological tools.