Structure-based design of a novel third-generation antipsychotic drug lead with potential antidepressant properties

Journal:
Nature Neuroscience
Published:
DOI:
10.1038/s41593-021-00971-w
Affiliations:
6
Authors:
11
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Research Highlight

Antipsychotic compound has antidepressant effects in mice

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A potential third-generation antipsychotic drug for treating schizophrenia could also help alleviate depression associated with the condition.

Three generations of antipsychotic drugs have been developed for treating schizophrenia. But while these antipsychotics can all treat the positive symptoms of the condition, such as delusions and hallucinations, they don’t help with its negative symptoms, which include depression and impaired cognition.

Now, a team that included researchers from ShanghaiTech University in China has designed a third-generation antipsychotic drug that exhibits antipsychotic activity in mice as well as antidepressant effects and improved cognitive performance.

Speculating that the undesirable side effects of two approved third-generation antipsychotics were caused by them interacting with the serotonin 2A receptor, the team designed a molecule that had negligible affinity to the receptor.

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References

  1. Nature Neuroscience 25, 39–49 (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41593-021-00971-w
Institutions Authors Share
Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBCB), SIBS CAS, China
2.000000
 0.18
CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, SIBS CAS, China
2.000000
 0.18
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Shanghai, China
2.000000
 0.18
ShanghaiTech University, China
2.000000
 0.18
CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), China
2.000000
 0.18
Soochow University, China
1.000000
 0.09