Brain peptide research may lead to promising new treatments for mental illnesses
- Date:
- September 7, 2016
- Source:
- Wiley
- Summary:
- Recent research points to the importance of a molecule called relaxin-3 in the brain, with effects on various processes and behaviors such as mood, stress, and cognition. Because these are often aberrant in mental illnesses, investigators are studying the potential of relaxin-3-based interventions to treat depression, anxiety, and other conditions.
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Recent research points to the importance of a molecule called relaxin-3 in the brain, with effects on various processes and behaviors such as mood, stress, and cognition. Because these are often aberrant in mental illnesses, investigators are studying the potential of relaxin-3-based interventions to treat depression, anxiety, and other conditions.
A new review looks at where such research stands and what additional studies are necessary.
"There is a need for new and better drugs for mental illnesses. An accumulation of recent research points to potential that relaxin-3 and its receptor RXFP3 may be a new target for treatment of these disorders," said Dr. Gavin Dawe, senior author of the British Journal of Pharmacology review.
"Developments in stapled peptide technology -- whereby peptides are chemically stabilized by crosslinking with small molecules -- are now opening prospects for selectively targeting RXFP3 to develop a new class of drugs for mental illnesses."
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Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Jigna Rajesh Kumar, Ramamoorthy Rajkumar, Tharindunee Jayakody, Subhi Marwari, Jia Mei Hong, Sherie Ma, Andrew L Gundlach, Mitchell K P Lai, Gavin S Dawe. Relaxin’ the brain: a case for targeting the nucleus incertus network and relaxin-3/RXFP3 system in neuropsychiatric disorders. British Journal of Pharmacology, 2016; DOI: 10.1111/bph.13564
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