An interview with James Flanaghan at SfN 2018, discussing the uses of DREADDs in neurobiological research and the advantages of water-soluble ligands.
What are DREADDs?
DREADDs are “Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs”. They are synthetic GPCRs which have been engineered to lack affinity for their endogenous ligands and to confer efficacy to an otherwise physiologically inert compound.
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How are DREADDs used to study GPCR signaling in the brain?
You can use DREADDs to selectively control different GPCR signaling pathways within neurons. You can control Gq Gs and Gi signaling pathways and modulate neuronal activity non-invasively in vivo.
Which ligands does Hello Bio offer for DREADDs?
There are a growing number of DREADD ligands, including specific ligands that are only available from Hello Bio. We sell a prototypical actuator for DREADDs which is called Clozapine N-Oxide, or CNO. We recently released a water-soluble version of CNO, which provides many advantages for researchers.
We provide DREADD Agonist Compound 21, a compound called Perlapine and Salvinorin B for inhibitory DREADDs. We also manufacture some novel DREADD ligands, which we created in collaboration with the NIH and these are water-soluble too.
