Cell-Specific Neuropharmacology

Sarah Mondoloni (1) , Romain Durand-de Cuttoli (1, 2) , Alexandre Mourot (1)

1 NPS - Neurophysiologie et comportements = Neurophysiology and Behavior
2 MSSM - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai [New York]

Neuronal communication involves a multitude of neurotransmitters and an outstanding diversity of receptors and ion channels. Linking the activity of cell surface receptors and ion channels in defined neural circuits to brain states and behaviors has been a key challenge in neuroscience, since cell targeting is not possible with traditional neuropharmacology. We review here recent technologies that enable the effect of drugs to be restricted to specific cell types, thereby allowing acute manipulation of the brain’s own proteins with circuit specificity. We highlight the importance of developing cell-specific neuropharmacology strategies for decoding the nervous system with molecular and circuit precision, and for developing future therapeutics with reduced side effects.

Keywords: optogenetics; chemogenetics; tethered ligand; bump-hole; receptor–ligand pair; photopharmacology

Domains: Pharmacology; Neurobiology

Sarah Mondoloni, Romain Durand-de Cuttoli, Alexandre Mourot. Cell-Specific Neuropharmacology. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 2019, 40 (9), pp.696-710. ⟨10.1016/j.tips.2019.07.007⟩. ⟨hal-02344518⟩