Volume 44, Issue 6 pp. 2640-2706
REVIEW ARTICLE

Advances in drug design and therapeutic potential of selective or multitarget 5-HT1A receptor ligands

Gianfabio Giorgioni

Gianfabio Giorgioni

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Alessandro Bonifazi

Corresponding Author

Alessandro Bonifazi

Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Correspondence Alessandro Bonifazi, Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

Email: [email protected]

Wilma Quaglia, Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy.

Email: [email protected]

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Luca Botticelli

Luca Botticelli

Pharmacology Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Carlo Cifani

Carlo Cifani

Pharmacology Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Federica Matteucci

Federica Matteucci

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Emanuela Micioni Di Bonaventura

Emanuela Micioni Di Bonaventura

Pharmacology Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Maria Vittoria Micioni Di Bonaventura

Maria Vittoria Micioni Di Bonaventura

Pharmacology Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Mario Giannella

Mario Giannella

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Alessandro Piergentili

Alessandro Piergentili

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Alessia Piergentili

Alessia Piergentili

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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Wilma Quaglia

Corresponding Author

Wilma Quaglia

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

Correspondence Alessandro Bonifazi, Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse – Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, 333 Cassell Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.

Email: [email protected]

Wilma Quaglia, Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy.

Email: [email protected]

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Fabio Del Bello

Fabio Del Bello

Medicinal Chemistry Unit, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy

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First published: 29 May 2024
Citations: 4

Abstract

5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1A-R) is a serotoninergic G-protein coupled receptor subtype which contributes to several physiological processes in both central nervous system and periphery. Despite being the first 5-HT-R identified, cloned and studied, it still represents a very attractive target in drug discovery and continues to be the focus of a myriad of drug discovery campaigns due to its involvement in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. The structure-activity relationship studies (SAR) performed over the last years have been devoted to three main goals: (i) design and synthesis of 5-HT1A-R selective/preferential ligands; (ii) identification of 5-HT1A-R biased agonists, differentiating pre- versus post-synaptic agonism and signaling cellular mechanisms; (iii) development of multitarget compounds endowed with well-defined poly-pharmacological profiles targeting 5-HT1A-R along with other serotonin receptors, serotonin transporter (SERT), D2-like receptors and/or enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase and phosphodiesterase, as a promising strategy for the management of complex psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, medicinal chemistry aspects of ligands acting as selective/preferential or multitarget 5-HT1A-R agonists and antagonists belonging to different chemotypes and developed in the last 7 years (2017–2023) have been discussed. The development of chemical and pharmacological 5-HT1A-R tools for molecular imaging have also been described. Finally, the pharmacological interest of 5-HT1A-R and the therapeutic potential of ligands targeting this receptor have been considered.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

No new datasets have been created or analyzed for the purpose of this review article.

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