An international team of neuropharmacologists has for the first time succeeded in decoding the molecular structure of two serotonin receptors, which opens the way for the creation of next-generation drugs against depression, migraine and obesity.. Nano News Net writes about it.

Serotonin plays a key role in the regulation of many physiological processes in the body, primarily in sleep, appetite and mood.. The team, which included specialists from leading research centers in the United States and China, used X-ray crystallography to study the molecular structure of two subtypes of serotonin receptors, 1B and 2B..

It was found, in particular, that these molecules have very similar structures of the ligand-binding site structure, however, in subtype 1B, the extracellular binding site turned out to be 0.3 nanometers (3 angstroms) wider than in 2B.

This explains, according to the authors, why these two receptors interact differently with certain substances, in particular the well-known phenomenon due to which the 2B subtype is called the “death receptor” - some of the drugs that activate this subtype have a negative effect on the function of the heart muscle..

As the authors note, they managed to get significantly closer to understanding the processes underlying the interactions between serotonin receptors and their ligands.. If in the future it will be possible to learn how to control the cascades of chemical reactions that are the consequences of such interactions, then this will make it possible to obtain drugs with a narrowly targeted action with minimal side effects..

nedug. en.