SIGNIFICANCE OF PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDY OF NEUROTRANSMITTER RECEPTORS IN BRAIN RESEARCH

Studies of the various aspects of receptor structure and their modulat ion by pharmacological agents represent a major area of current thrust in neurosciences at the cellular and subcellular level as well as at the behavioural level. The pharmacological criteria for receptor chara cterization have been used extensively not only to classify the recept ors but also to understand the physiological roles of various neurotra nsmitters and help in the development of new drugs. The information ob tained using procedures of molecular biology is complementary and a pr oper characterization of a receptor needs both types of information. T he thrust area for neurotransmitter receptor research should include b asic studies to obtain receptor in a pure form, techniques to solubili ze them, mapping of neurotransmitter receptors in healthy and diseased brain and their interactions with drugs. Ligands need to be discovere d for orphan receptors, and the suitability of using peripheral recept ors in lymphocytes, platelets, etc., as well as invertebrate receptors as indicators of CNS receptors should receive top priority in researc h.