Mar 12 2021 Read 412 Times
In a recent study led by MedUni Vienna and the University of Vienna, researchers demonstrated that dimerized (a combination of two identical or different molecules) and therefore significantly larger versions of human neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin are still able to activate their receptors without forfeiting too much of their efficacy. Such new constructs provide several opportunities to optimise the efficacy of these neuropeptides for therapeutic application.
Oxytocin/vasopressin receptors are typical examples of so-called G protein-coupled receptors – the most successful drug target class, which are being investigated for therapeutic applications in cardiovascular disease, cancer and developmental disorders such as autism.