title: Therapeutic Potential of 5-HT6 Receptor Agonists.
abstract: Given its predominant expression in the central nervous system (CNS), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT: serotonin) subtype 6 receptor (5-HT6R) has been considered as a valuable target for the development of CNS drugs with limited side effects. After 2 decades of intense research, numerous selective ligands have been developed to target this receptor; this holds potential interest for the treatment of neuropathological disorders. In fact, some agents (mainly antagonists) are currently undergoing clinical trial. More recently, a series of potent and selective agonists have been developed, and preclinical studies have been conducted that suggest the therapeutic interest of 5-HT6R agonists. This review details the medicinal chemistry of these agonists, highlights their activities, and discusses their potential for treating cognitive issues associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), depression, or obesity. Surprisingly, some studies have shown that both 5-HT6R agonists and antagonists exert similar procognitive activities. This article summarizes the hypotheses that could explain this paradox.
authors.affiliation: UNICAEN, CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , F-14032 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karila
authors.affiliation: UNICAEN, GMPc (Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité Comportementale), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , F-14032 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freret
authors.affiliation: UNICAEN, GMPc (Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité Comportementale), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , F-14032 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Valentine
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouet
authors.affiliation: UNICAEN, GMPc (Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité Comportementale), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , F-14032 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulouard
authors.affiliation: UNICAEN, CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , F-14032 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dallemagne
authors.affiliation: UNICAEN, CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie), Université de Caen Basse-Normandie , F-14032 Caen, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rochais
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002491:Central Nervous System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D002491:Central Nervous System Agents; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C097216:serotonin 6 receptor