2B Determined: The Future of the Serotonin Receptor 2B in Drug Discovery

J Med Chem. 2023 Aug 24;66(16):11027-11039. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01178. Epub 2023 Aug 16.

Abstract

The cardiotoxicity associated with des-ethyl-dexfenfluramine (norDF) and related agonists of the serotonin receptor 2B (5-HT2B) has solidified the receptor's place as an "antitarget" in drug discovery. Conversely, a growing body of evidence has highlighted the utility of 5-HT2B antagonists for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), valvular heart disease (VHD), and related cardiopathies. In this Perspective, we summarize the link between the clinical failure of fenfluramine-phentermine (fen-phen) and the subsequent research on the role of 5-HT2B in disease progression, as well as the development of drug-like and receptor subtype-selective 5-HT2B antagonists. Such agents represent a promising class for the treatment of PAH and VHD, but their utility has been historically understudied due to the clinical disasters associated with 5-HT2B. Herein, it is our aim to examine the current state of 5-HT2B drug discovery, with an emphasis on the receptor's role in the central nervous system (CNS) versus the periphery.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Drug Discovery
  • Fenfluramine
  • Heart Valve Diseases*
  • Humans
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B*
  • Serotonin

Substances

  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B
  • Serotonin
  • Fenfluramine