| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2573808 | Trends in Pharmacological Sciences | 2006 | 4 Pages |
The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2C receptor has received considerable attention as a target for treating drug addiction. 5-HT2C-receptor agonism, however, also induces side-effects. In this article, we review recent findings regarding the involvement of 5-HT2C receptors in behaviours related to drug addiction in animals. It was recently shown that 5-HT2C-receptor agonist effects can be induced intracellularly using the protein peptide Tat–3L4F, which prevents 5-HT2C-receptor dephosphorylation induced by phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10. The most promising finding is that Tat–3L4F can selectively reduce the potency of addictive drugs by reducing mesolimbic dopamine transmission without eliciting the side-effects of 5-HT2C-receptor agonist treatment, thus highlighting its potential use as a strategy to treat drug addiction in humans.
