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William C. Wetsel

7 papers in the library · 525 citations · publishing 2009-2023

Papers

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A suite of engineered mice for interrogating psychedelic drug actions

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 26, 2023 Yi-Ting Chiu, Wei Wang, Pierre Llorach et al. 15 citations preprint

ABSTRACT Psychedelic drugs like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin have emerged as potentially transformative therapeutics for many neuropsychiatric diseases, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, migraine, and cluster headaches. LSD and psilocybin exert their psychedelic effects via activation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (HTR2A). Here we provide...

Structure-based discovery of conformationally selective inhibitors of the serotonin transporter.

Cell May 11, 2023 Isha Singh, Anubha Seth, Christian B. Billesbølle et al. 97 citations

The serotonin transporter (SERT) removes synaptic serotonin and is the target of anti-depressant drugs. SERT adopts three conformations: outward-open, occluded, and inward-open. All known inhibitors target the outward-open state except ibogaine, which has unusual anti-depressant and substance-withdrawal effects, and stabilizes the inward-open conformation. Unfortunately, ibogaine's promiscuity...

The G protein biased serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist lisuride exerts anti-depressant drug-like activities in mice.

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences 2023 Vladimir M Pogorelov, Ramona M. Rodriguiz, Bryan L. Roth et al. 26 citations

There is now evidence from multiple Phase II clinical trials that psychedelic drugs can exert long-lasting anxiolytic, anti-depressant, and anti-drug abuse (nicotine and ethanol) effects in patients. Despite these benefits, the hallucinogenic actions of these drugs at the serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) limit their clinical use in diverse settings. Activation of the 5-HT2AR can stimulate both G...

LSD-stimulated behaviors in mice require β-arrestin 2 but not β-arrestin 1

Scientific Reports September 5, 2021 Ramona M. Rodriguiz, Vineet Nadkarni, Christopher R. Means et al. 92 citations

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that psychedelic drugs can exert beneficial effects on anxiety, depression, and ethanol and nicotine abuse in humans. However, their hallucinogenic side-effects often preclude their clinical use. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a prototypical hallucinogen and its psychedelic actions are exerted through the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor (5-HT2AR). 5-HT2AR...

Psychedelic-inspired drug discovery using an engineered biosensor.

Cell April 28, 2021 Chunyang Dong, Calvin Ly, Lee E. Dunlap et al. 207 citations

Ligands can induce G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to adopt a myriad of conformations, many of which play critical roles in determining the activation of specific signaling cascades associated with distinct functional and behavioral consequences. For example, the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is the target of classic hallucinogens, atypical antipsychotics, and psychoplastogens....

LSD’s effects are differentially modulated in arrestin knockout mice

bioRxiv Preprint Server February 4, 2021 Ramona M. Rodriguiz, Vineet Nadkarni, Christopher R. Means et al. 7 citations preprint

Recent evidence suggests that psychedelic drugs can exert beneficial effects on anxiety, depression, and ethanol and nicotine abuse in humans. However, the hallucinogenic side-effects of psychedelics often preclude their clinical use. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a prototypical hallucinogen and its psychedelic actions are exerted through the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor (5-HT2AR). 5-HT2AR...

Structure-based design, synthesis, and biochemical and pharmacological characterization of novel salvinorin A analogues as active state probes of the kappa-opioid receptor.

Biochemistry July 28, 2009 Feng Yan, Ruslan V Bikbulatov, Viorel Mocanu et al. 81 citations

Salvinorin A, the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen, has attracted an increasing amount of attention since the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) was identified as its principal molecular target by us [Roth, B. L., et al. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 99, 11934-11939]. Here we report the design, synthesis, and biochemical characterization of novel, irreversible, salvinorin A-derived...