Class of compounds may treat a variety of diseases by blocking specific enzymes
Depression is a common condition that affects millions of Americans, many of whom buy Paxil in order to control their symptoms.
Depression is a common condition that affects millions of Americans, many of whom buy Paxil in order to control their symptoms. Recently, scientists from the Scripps Research Institute identified a class of compounds that could aid in the discovery of more drugs for depression, anxiety and pain, as well as diseases like Alzheimer's.
The new compounds work by blocking the activity of enzymes called serine hydrolases, a process that may treat myriad conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Scientists tested one of the compounds, called AA74-1, which they noticed could potently block the activity of specific serine hydrolases without affecting other enzymes.
"There are more than 200 serine hydrolases in human cells, but for most, we've lacked chemical inhibitors of their activity," said lead author Benjamin F. Cravatt. "We've only had a limited ability to study them in the lab or block them to treat medical conditions. This new research allows us to greatly expand our list of these inhibitors."
He and his colleagues are currently working on identifying more serine hydrolase inhibitors to study their biological functions.
|
