Serotonin Receptors

The recent cloning and identification of a large number of serotonin (5-HT) receptors-a major family of therapeutic targets-holds out the possibility of developing novel, subtype-selective 5-HT receptor agonists and antagonists for use as psychiatric, cardiovascular, and neurological medications. In The Serotonin Receptors: From Molecular Pharmacology to Human Therapeutics, leading experts comprehensively examine our current understanding of the molecular and structural biology of 5-HT receptors and their pharmacological use. The authors describe the anatomical, cellular, and subcellular distribution of 5-HT receptors and demonstrate a powerful approach to elucidating their physiological role using knockout mice in which the 5-HT receptors were deleted. They also review our understanding of the physiological role(s) of 5-HT receptors based mainly on studies performed in genetically engineered mice. Highlights include discussions of the behavioral phenotypes of 5-HT receptor knockout animals, the molecular biology and pharmacology of 5-HT receptors, and insights into the complexity of 5-HT receptor signal transduction.§Comprehensive and state of the art, The Serotonin Receptors: From Molecular Pharmacology to Human Therapeutics provides an illuminating "snapshot" of the 5-HT receptor field today and prospects for the future, taking it from the genomic to a systems level of understanding.