Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Vollum Institute have discovered how chemically diverse drugs used to treat depression and anxiety disorders interact with the protein that transports serotonin in the brain. Jonathan Coleman and Eric Gouaux used X-ray crystallography techniques at two U.S. Department of Energy national user facilities to collect data: Molecular research was carried out at the Biosciences’ Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, beamline 5.0.2, located at the Advanced Light Source; and at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), at Argonne National Laboratory. Their findings, published in the January 29 issue of the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, could open the way for the development of additional forms of antidepressants collectively known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.
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