title: Discovering orphan receptor function using human in vitro pharmacology.
abstract: mRNA encoding several recently discovered orphan receptors and their putative ligands has been identified in human tissues, suggesting the existence of new transmitter systems that may be important in the regulation of human cardiac and vascular function. Data obtained from in vitro pharmacological studies using healthy and pathological surgical samples of human arteries, veins and heart muscle are proving advantageous in the identification and characterisation of orphan receptor systems, such as urotensin-II, ghrelin, apelin and relaxin, which are most likely to provide novel targets for drugs to treat human cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacology Unit, University of Cambridge, Level 6 Centre for Clinical Investigation, Box 110 Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK. jjm1003@medschl.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Janet J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Maguire
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000073861:Apelin; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D018000:Receptors, Peptide / Q000502:physiology*; D012065:Relaxin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014579:Urotensins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C115436:APLN protein, human; D000073861:Apelin; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D054439:Ghrelin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D036361:Peptide Hormones; D018000:Receptors, Peptide; D014579:Urotensins; D012065:Relaxin; C029677:urotensin II