BioCentury
ARTICLE | Targets & Mechanisms

Putting anxiety to rest

January 28, 2010 8:00 AM UTC

Orexin's role in narcolepsy and appetite has made receptors for the neuropeptide attractive targets for sleep and diet disorders. Now, a report from Indiana University researchers has shown that one of the brain hormone's two receptors-orexin 1 receptor-is a key player in panic and anxiety.1 Companies with orexin receptor antagonists in the clinic for sleep disorders thus have an opportunity to test their compounds for anxiolytic effects.

Orexin, also known as hypocretin, is produced in the lateral hypothalamus in response to a variety of hormonal cues about energy balance. Orexin raises alertness and appetite by activating two closely related receptors: orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) and OX2R...