5-HT2A receptor screening at Sygnature Discovery enables comparison of hallucinogenic and non-hallucinogeneic psychedelic compounds using custom-built cell-based assays. Our advanced platforms support mechanistic studies, functional profiling and pathway-specific analysis to accelerate CNS drug discovery targeting serotonergic systems.
Introduction
Serotonergic psychedelics, known for their impact on mood, perception, and cognitive processes, primarily target the serotonin (5HT) 2A receptor subtype. While these psychedelics have garnered attention for their therapeutic potential, their exploration has been hindered by their spectre of adverse effects. Issues such as disorientation, anxiety, hallucinations, seizures, and, in extreme cases, fatalities have tempered widespread investigation of their clinical application.
The 5HT2A receptor functions via various ntracellular signalling pathways, including the canonical Gq-coupled pathway and β-arrestin recruitment, each contributing to distinct physiological effects. It has been suggested that ligands showing functional bias towards specific signalling pathways may allow separation of the desired therapeutic effect from unwanted side effects, offering the potential to develop effective ligands that can be used to target specific neuropathological conditions.
Figure 1: 5HT2A receptor signalling pathways.
