The current agonists and positive allosteric modulators of α7 nAChR for CNS indications in clinical trials

• 来源期刊: 药学学报（英文版）
• 关键词: Alpha7 nAChR Positive allosteric modulators Schizophrenia Alzheimer's disease Acetylcholine Ion channel
• 年，卷（期）: 2017,（6）
• 页码范围: 611-622
• 页数: 12页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

The alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR),consisting of homomeric α7 subunits,is a ligand-gated Ca2+-permeable ion channel implicated in cognition and neuropsychiatric disorders.Enhancement of α7 nAChR function is considered to be a potential therapeutic strategy aiming at ameliorating cognitive deficits of neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia.Currently,a number of α7 nAChR modulators have been reported and several of them have advanced into clinical trials.In this brief review,we outline recent progress made in understanding the role of the α7 nAChR in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders and the pharmacological effects of α7 nAChR modulators used in clinical trials.