Abstract
The basic pharmacology of the four adenosine receptors (A1, A2A, A2B, A3) is understood in considerable detail. Mice deficient in each individual receptor have been generated and their study has led to surprising insights, e.g., that the presence of the A2A receptor aggravates ischaemia-induced neuronal damage. From the perspective of drug development, it is reassuring to learn that each individual receptor can be deleted without affecting viability of the resulting mice. Thus, it is safe to target these receptors with antagonists. In fact, several clinical trials have recently been conducted to explore the use of agonists and antagonists in diseases and disorders, where a beneficial effect was to be expected based on the study of adenosine receptor biology. Two brain disorders stand out, because addressing adenosine receptors may be of therapeutic interest. Firstly, Parkinson’s disease, where an antagonist (istradefylline) was successfully developed to receive market approval in Japan. Secondly, a polymorphism in the A2A receptor modifies the age of onset in Huntington’s disease. Hence, it may be of interest to also target the receptor in order to treat Huntington’s disease. This requires that the role of the A2A receptor be understood.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.