Use of DREADD Technology to Identify Novel Targets for Antidiabetic Drugs

作者：Lei Wang, Lu Zhu, Jaroslawna Meister, Derek B.J. Bone, Sai P. Pydi, Mario Rossi, Jürgen Wess · 发表于：The Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-030220-121042 · 被引用次数：40 · 研究领域：Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling、Pancreatic function and diabetes、Diabetes Treatment and Management

G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) form a superfamily of plasma membrane receptors that couple to four major families of heterotrimeric G proteins, G s , G i , G q , and G 12 . GPCRs represent excellent targets for drug therapy. Since the individual GPCRs are expressed by many different cell types, the in vivo metabolic roles of a specific GPCR expressed by a distinct cell type are not well understood. The development of designer GPCRs known as DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by a designer drug) that selectively couple to distinct classes of heterotrimeric G proteins has greatly facilitated studies in this area. This review focuses on the use of DREADD technology to explore the physiological and pathophysiological roles of distinct GPCR/G protein cascades in several metabolically important cell types. The novel insights gained from these studies should stimulate the development of GPCR-based treatments for major metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.