A new publication shows the 'biased agonist' profile of the Neurolixis drug, NLX-101, by using pharmacoMRI imaging in rat brain. NLX-101 elicited increases in energy usage (measured as Blood Oxygen Level Dependence ; BOLD) in frontal cortex, whereas other serotonin 5-HT1A agonists showed distinct stimulation patterns.

The study was carried out within the CERMEP-Imaging platform of the Lyon University Hospital by a team led by Prof. Luc Zimmer, an expert in brain imaging of serotonergic systems. The results corroborate the novel activtiy of NLX-101 and support the rationale for its development in disorders afecting mood and cognition, including Rett syndrome.

 

Selective serotonin 5-HT1A receptor biased agonists elicitdistinct brain activation patterns: a pharmacoMRI study.

Becker G, Bolbos R, Costes N, Redouté J, Newman-Tancredi A, Zimmer L   Free PDF  pdf_symbol
Sci Rep. 2016 May 23;6:26633. doi: 10.1038/srep26633.