This Is The Molecule Responsible For Stress
Protein Receptor CRF1 Small molecule drugs, like the one in the center, can be designed to fit in the drug pocket of the protein receptor. Courtesy Dr. Andrew Dore, Heptares Therapeutics Now scientists can create drugs to fit inside its structure precisely. This little molecule is what stress looks like. Researchers from Heptares Therapeutics, a drug company, have discovered the 3-D structure of a protein receptor that mediates our response to stress, according to a new study in Nature. Using a powerful X-ray machine at Diamond Light Source, the UK's national particle accelerator, they were able to detail the structure of CRF1, a find that they say opens up the possibility of creating specially tailored drugs to treat depression and anxiety. CRF1, a molecule on the outside of cells on the pituitary gland, releases CRF, hormones involved in regulating our stress response that over time contribute to anxiety and depression. A...