Assistant Professor
Dept. of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617-636-2741
Email: Michael.Court@tufts.edu

Lab Website: http://www.tufts.edu/~mcourt01/

Research Interests:

Pharmacogenetics of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs): a. Identification of UGT isoforms that contribute to the glucuronidation of clinically important drugs in humans through the use of cDNA-expressed UGTs and liver microsomes; b. Development of UGT isoform-specific enzyme activities and inhibitory antibodies; c. Identifying and determining the effect of genetic polymorphisms in human UGTs on enzyme function using expressed UGTs and relating this to relevant in vivo function (drug pharmacokinetics and disease incidence); d. Investigation of protein-protein interactions between heterologous UGT isoforms and identification of other proteins that may interact with the UGTs through use of the yeast 2-hybrid system.

Role of soy isoflavones in thyroid disease: Metabolism of the soy isoflavones and effects of these phytoestrogens on thyroid function.

Pharmacogenetics of drug metabolism in the dog: Determining the molecular basis for dog breed differences in the metabolism of certain anesthetic agents and related drugs.

Recent Publications:

Court MH. A pharmacogenomics primer. J Clin Pharmacol. 2007; 47(9):1087-103.

Kaivosaari S, Toivonen P, Hesse LM, Koskinen M, Court MH, Finel M. Nicotine glucuronidation and the human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT2B10. Mol Pharmacol. 2007; 72(3):761-8.

Lascelles BD, Court MH, Hardie EM, Robertson SA. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in cats: a review.
Vet Anaesth Analg. 2007; 34(4):228-50.

Wolf KK, Wood SG, Allard JL, Hunt JA, Gorman N, Walton-Strong BW, Szakacs JG, Duan SX, Hao Q, Court MH, von Moltke LL, Greenblatt DJ, Kostrubsky V, Jeffery EH, Wrighton SA, Gonzalez FJ, Sinclair PR, Sinclair JF. Role of CYP3A and CYP2E1 in alcohol-mediated increases in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity: comparison of wild-type and Cyp2e1(-/-) mice. Drug Metab Dispos. 2007; 35(7):1223-31.

Farkas D, Oleson LE, Zhao Y, Harmatz JS, Zinny MA, Court MH, Greenblatt DJ. Pomegranate juice does not impair clearance of oral or intravenous midazolam, a probe for cytochrome P450-3A activity: comparison with grapefruit juice. J Clin Pharmacol. 2007; 47(3):286-94.

Kurkela M, Patana AS, Mackenzie PI, Court MH, Tate CG, Hirvonen J, Goldman A, Finel M. Interactions with other human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases attenuate the consequences of the Y485D mutation on the activity and substrate affinity of UGT1A6. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2007; 17(2):115-26.