Mika Kurkela
Papers
1
Total Citations
22
H-Index
1
About
Mika Kurkela is a leading figure in drug metabolism and toxicology, with a focused expertise in UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes and their role in drug disposition. His most cited work, the 2007 paper "High Throughput Screening Assay for UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 Glucuronidation Profiling," has garnered 22 citations and represents a pivotal contribution to preclinical drug development. In this study, Kurkela pioneered a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay for UGT1A1, enabling rapid evaluation of a compound's glucuronidation profile—a critical step for predicting toxicity and drug-drug interactions early in the pipeline. This innovation directly addresses a major bottleneck in drug development: the need for cost-effective, scalable methods to assess metabolic liabilities before clinical trials. By providing a tool to flag potential adverse reactions, Kurkela's work helps researchers select safer drug candidates, reducing late-stage failures. His research underscores the importance of phase II metabolism in pharmacokinetics, and his assay remains a foundational reference for labs studying UGT-mediated clearance. Kurkela's contributions exemplify how targeted assay development can streamline the path from bench to bedside, making him a respected voice in the field of drug metabolism and safety assessment.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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