Project Summary

Cecile Beguin, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of Harvard Medical School and Harvard University, aims to develop drugs that regulate K opioid receptors, which have recently been implicated as targets for depression treatment. Current depression and bipolar disorder treatments require several weeks to become effective and often produce side effects. New drugs with improved efficacy, faster onset of action, and fewer side effects would revolutionize the treatment of these disorders. Recent evidence shows that molecules that activate K-opioid receptors produce depressive-like symptoms in rats, whereas K-receptor blockers produce antidepressant-like effects. Salvinorin A is a plant derivative with a chemical structure that potently and selectively activates K-receptors. Dr. Beguin hypothesizes that chemically altering Salvinorin A’s structure will provide new drugs that regulate K-receptors. She proposes synthesizing novel salvinorin A derivatives and evaluating their in vitro pharmacological properties. She will then test three to four of the most promising derivatives in animal models of depression.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS

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