Understanding Dopamine Receptors for Better Medications
Structure and Function of Dopamine Receptors
This work explores how dopamine receptors, which are targeted by current mental health medications, interact with other receptors to help create new treatments with fewer side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11120953 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We are looking closely at how dopamine D2 receptors, the main targets of all current antipsychotic drugs, connect with other receptors in the body. These connections, called complexes, might hold the key to developing new medications that work more precisely and cause fewer unwanted side effects. Our team is using advanced imaging techniques to watch individual receptor molecules in living cells, helping us understand their behavior in real-time. This detailed view will help us learn if these receptor complexes truly exist and how they function, paving the way for more targeted therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research is relevant to individuals living with mental health conditions currently treated with antipsychotic medications.
Not a fit: Patients not affected by conditions requiring antipsychotic medications would not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to the development of new antipsychotic medications that are more effective and have significantly fewer side effects for patients.
How similar studies have performed: While the existence and physiological relevance of these receptor complexes are still debated, this project uses novel single-molecule imaging techniques rarely applied to these specific receptors in living mammalian cells.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Javitch, Jonathan a — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Javitch, Jonathan a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.