Drugs known as antidepressants target the serotonin transporter in nerve cells and are among the most commonly prescribed medicines worldwide, but are sometimes associated with significant side effects. As part of a study, a research group led by Thomas Stockner from MedUni Vienna identified the basic principles of serotonin transport and thus created a possible basis for the development of novel drugs with improved selectivity and with fewer undesirable effects. The results were recently published in the renowned scientific journal “Nature Communications”
While the desired effects of drugs unfold through the interaction with the relevant target structures, the undesirable side effects are often due to a lack of selectivity and therefore due to interactions with other target structures. Accordingly, developing drugs that can differentiate between the various physiologically relevant targets (e.g. transporters and receptors) is one of the challenges for research. A team led by Ralph Gradisch under the supervision of Thomas Stockner from MedUni Vienna’s Center for Physiology and Pharmacology set out to find a way to increase selectivity for the serotonin transporter while reducing interaction with other targets at nerve cells in the brain.
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