Curasen Therapeutics Inc. has disclosed compounds acting as β-adrenoceptor agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. have identified nicotinic α7 receptor positive allosteric modulators reported to be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and schizophrenia.

Recent Vanderbilt University patents describe metabotropic glutamate mGlu5 receptor negative allosteric modulators reported to be useful for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Angelman syndrome, anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorders, substance abuse and dependence, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and obesity, among others.

The analysis of thousands of proteins in the brain has revealed the association of astrocytes with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A proteomic study by researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has identified them in different cellular compartments of astrocytes and neurons. One such protein, the postsynaptic protein SAPAP3, appeared to regulate the organization of the actin cytoskeleton. Its deficit in astrocytes could cause OCD.

Prodrugs of G protein-coupled receptor GPR52 agonists have been reported in a recent Heptares Therapeutics Ltd. patent as potentially useful for the treatment of psychosis, among others.

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG have jointly patented 3-phenoxyazetidin-1-yl-heteroaryl pyrrolidine derivative G protein-coupled receptor GPR52 agonists.

Investigators from the European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) recently presented data on an immunotherapeutic approach based on the monoclonal antibody (MAb) 12A12 for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD).