Changing the locks
Designer receptors help understand cellular signals and could treat epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, but need new tools, finds Andy Extance
In 2005, US scientists enabled mice to taste the normally flavourless molecule spiradoline by hijacking the protein machinery that helps them sense, genetically modifying them to produce ‘designer’ receptors. Receptors activated solely by a synthetic ligand (Rassls), was just the first generation, now designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (Dreadds), are also widely used for chemogenetic stimulation over longer periods.