title: Serotonin 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 ligands: an update of medicinal chemistry research in the last few years.
abstract: The biogenic amine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is one of the most studied neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. It acts through the activation of at least fourteen 5-HT receptor subtypes. Over the last two decades, high attention was devoted to the 5-HT(3) and 5-HT(4) receptors due to their colocalization in the gastrointestinal tract and because their ligands are useful in the treatment of intestinal serotonergic system dysfunctions. The focus of this review is to discuss the literature concerning recent advances on 5-HT(3)R and 5-HT(4)R ligands and their structure-activity relationships from a medicinal chemistry perspective. During the last few years, new and significant progresses have been made in the field of novel potent and selective ligands, mixed ligands, agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists, and a number of patents have been filed. Furthermore several ligands targeting the 5-HT(3)R and 5-HT(4)R have been proposed for novel therapeutic indications such as the treatment of various psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Facoltà di Farmacia, Università di Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Modica
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pittalà
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Siracusa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D044406:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D058827:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonists; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; D058828:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Agonists; D058832:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Antagonists; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D044406:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT3; D058827:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Agonists; D058831:Serotonin 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists; D058828:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Agonists; D058832:Serotonin 5-HT4 Receptor Antagonists; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D044422:Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4