MULTIPLE SEROTONIN RECEPTORS - OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW TREATMENTS FOR OBESITY

Recent progress in the molecular pharmacology of 5-HT receptors and th e development of selective ligands for various 5-HT receptor subtypes has advanced our understanding of the role of 5-HT mechanisms in the c ontrol of food intake and bodyweight. The most intensively investigate d 5-HT receptor subtypes have been the 5-HT1A receptor, the 5-HT1B rec eptor and the 5-HT2C receptor, The overall pattern of results to date suggests that selective 5-HT2C agonists may be novel anorectic drugs a nd prove useful in the treatment of obesity, However, a number of issu es remain unresolved, particularly regarding potential side-effects,as the 5-HT2C receptor agonist mCPP has been reported to induce anxiety and nausea in humans,actions that would clearly limit its therapeutic utility, In addition, the possible role of recently cloned 5-HT recept or subtypes such as 5-ht(5), 5-ht(6) and 5-ht(7) remains unexplored an d the development of selective ligands for these sites has the potenti al to lead to new treatments for obesity.