Multiple Serotonin Receptors: Opportunities for New Treatments for Obesity?

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Abstract
Recent progress in the molecular pharmacology of 5‐HT receptors and the development of selective ligands for various 5‐HT receptor subtypes has advanced our understanding of the role of 5‐HT mechanisms in the control of food intake and body weight The most intensively investigated 5‐HT receptor subtypes have been the 5‐HT1A receptor, the 5‐HT1B receptor andthe5‐HT2C receptor. The overall pattern of results to date suggests that selective 5‐HT2C agonists may be novel anorectic drugs and prove useful in the treatment of obesity. However, a number of issues remain unresolved, particularly regarding potential side‐effects, as the 5‐HT2C receptor agonist mCPP has been reported to induce anxiety and nausea in humans, actions that would clearly limit its therapeutic utility. In addition, the possible role of recently cloned 5‐HT receptor subtypes such as 5‐ht5,5‐ht6 and 5‐ht7 remains unexplored and the development of selective ligands for these sites has the potential to lead to new treatments for obesity.