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Author

Mark A. Varney

Other affiliations: Sunovion
Bio: Mark A. Varney is an academic researcher from Dana Corporation. The author has contributed to research in topics: Agonist & 5-HT1A receptor. The author has an hindex of 16, co-authored 45 publications receiving 629 citations. Previous affiliations of Mark A. Varney include Sunovion.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Targeting 5-HT1A receptors with selective biased agonists exerts distinct effects in the rat model of PD and LID and could potentially translate to superior antidyskinetic and L-DOPA dose-sparing effects in PD patients.

64 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: NLX-112 could exhibit a novel therapeutic profile, combining robust anti-dyskinetic properties without impairing the therapeutic properties of L-DOPA, and with additional beneficial effects on non-motor (affective) symptoms.

63 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that the novel biased agonist F15599 combines pronounced activity in a test of anxiety with potent antidepressant-like effects and low propensity to induce serotonergic behaviors and that selective biased agonists could constitute promising pharmacotherapeutics for mood disorders.
Abstract: Although serotonin 5-HT1A receptors constitute attractive therapeutic targets, there is a lack of potential clinical candidates that have a high degree of selectivity and full agonist efficacy. Recently, novel 5-HT1A receptor "biased agonists" F15599 (also known as NLX-101) and F13714 have been reported that exhibit distinctive properties for in vitro signaling, neurochemical, electrophysiological effects, and in brain imaging. The present study characterized their effects in rat models of anxiety (elevated plus-maze, EPM, and Vogel tests), in depressive-like behavior (forced swim test), and on the induction of the three serotonergic behaviors (forepaw treading, flat body posture, and lower lip retraction). The prototypical 5-HT1A receptor ligands (±)8-OH-DPAT and buspirone were tested as comparators. In the elevated plus-maze, F15599, F13714, and (±)8-OH-DPAT dose-dependently increased the amount and percentage of time spent in the open arms with minimal effective doses (MED) of 5 mg/kg p.o., 2.5 mg/kg p.o. and 1.25 mg/kg s.c., respectively. The effects of the three agonists were abolished by pretreatment with the selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, WAY100635 (0.63 mg/kg s.c.). Buspirone did not show significant activity in the EPM. In contrast, in the Vogel test only buspirone was active, significantly increasing the number of licks and shocks accepted (active dose: 1.25 mg/kg s.c.). However, WAY100635 failed to reverse the effects of buspirone in this test, suggesting that they were not 5-HT1A receptor-mediated. In the forced swim test, F15599, F13714, and (±)8-OH-DPAT were potently active, abolishing immobility (MED: 0.63 mg/kg p.o., 0.63 mg/kg p.o. and 0.16 mg/kg s.c., respectively). Buspirone was not active. In measures of serotonergic behavior, F13714 and (±)8-OH-DPAT robustly elicited all three signs of serotonergic behaviors, whereas F15599 and buspirone elicited only lower-lip retraction. Taken together, these observations highlight the distinct profiles of activity of 5-HT1A agonists and suggest that the novel biased agonist F15599 combines pronounced activity in a test of anxiety (elevated plus-maze) with potent antidepressant-like effects and low propensity to induce serotonergic behaviors. These data suggest that selective biased agonists could constitute promising pharmacotherapeutics for mood disorders.

45 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These data suggest that the F‐series compounds articulate their anti‐LID effects through activation of a diverse set of striatal 5‐HT1A hetero‐receptor populations, and play an important role in the anti-LID and pro‐5‐HT syndrome profiles of F13714 and F15599.

40 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Mechanisms by which pattern separation can be increased are of potential therapeutic interest because it is an important hippocampal process implicated in cognitive domains like episodic memory.
Abstract: Background and Purpose Pattern separation, that is, the formation of distinct representations from similar inputs, is an important hippocampal process implicated in cognitive domains like episodic memory. A deficit in pattern separation could lead to memory impairments in several psychiatric and neurological disorders. Hence, mechanisms by which pattern separation can be increased are of potential therapeutic interest. Experimental approach 5-HT1A receptors are involved in spatial memory. Herein we tested the ‘biased’ 5-HT1A receptor agonists F15599, which preferentially activates post-synaptic heteroreceptors, and F13714, which preferentially activates raphe-located autoreceptors, in rats in a novel spatial task assessing pattern separation, the object pattern separation (OPS) task. Key Results The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, which served as a positive control, significantly improved spatial pattern separation at a dose of 1 mg·kg−1, p.o. F15599 increased pattern separation at 0.04 mg·kg−1, i.p., while F13714 decreased pattern separation at 0.0025 mg·kg−1, i.p. The selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (0.63 mg·kg−1, s.c.) counteracted the effects of both agonists. These data suggest that acute preferential activation of post-synaptic 5-HT1A heteroreceptors improves spatial pattern separation, whereas acute preferential activation of raphe-located 5-HT1A autoreceptors impairs performance. Conclusions and Implications We successfully established and validated a novel, simple and robust OPS task and observed a diverging profile of response with ‘biased’ 5-HT1A receptor agonists based on their targeting of receptors in distinct brain regions. Our data suggest that the post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptor consists of a potential novel molecular target to improve pattern separation performance.

38 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overview of Pd-catalyzed N-arylation reactions found in both basic and applied chemical research from 2008 to the present is provided.
Abstract: Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions that form C–N bonds have become useful methods to synthesize anilines and aniline derivatives, an important class of compounds throughout chemical research. A key factor in the widespread adoption of these methods has been the continued development of reliable and versatile catalysts that function under operationally simple, user-friendly conditions. This review provides an overview of Pd-catalyzed N-arylation reactions found in both basic and applied chemical research from 2008 to the present. Selected examples of C–N cross-coupling reactions between nine classes of nitrogen-based coupling partners and (pseudo)aryl halides are described for the synthesis of heterocycles, medicinally relevant compounds, natural products, organic materials, and catalysts.

1,709 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present review attempts to provide an overview of the current understanding of dyskinesia and other L-dopa-induced dysfunctions to help in the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing the generation of dyskinetic symptoms.

365 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This Perspective provides an overview of the recent developments of deuteration, with a focus on deuterated clinical candidates, and highlights both opportunities and challenges of this strategy.
Abstract: The use of deuteration in medicinal chemistry has exploded in the past years, and the FDA has recently approved the first deuterium-labeled drug. Precision deuteration goes beyond the pure and simple amelioration of the pharmacokinetic parameters of a drug and might provide an opportunity when facing problems in terms of metabolism-mediated toxicity, drug interactions, and low bioactivation. The use of deuterium is even broader, offering the opportunity to lower the degree of epimerization, reduce the dose of coadministered boosters, and discover compounds where deuterium is the basis for the mechanism of action. Nevertheless, designing, synthesizing, and developing a successful deuterated drug is far from straightforward, and the translation from concept to practice is often unpredictable. This Perspective provides an overview of the recent developments of deuteration, with a focus on deuterated clinical candidates, and highlights both opportunities and challenges of this strategy.

341 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The mechanisms of neuropathy pain inhibition by antidepressants based mainly on experimental findings from animal models of neuropathic pain are discussed in this review.
Abstract: Tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors are used to treat chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain. Why antidepressants are effective for treatment of neuropathic pain and the precise mechanisms underlying their effects, however, remain unclear. The inhibitory effects of these antidepressants for neuropathic pain manifest more quickly than their antidepressive effects, suggesting different modes of action. Recent studies of animal models of neuropathic pain revealed that noradrenaline is extremely important for the inhibition of neuropathic pain. First, increasing noradrenaline in the spinal cord by reuptake inhibition directly inhibits neuropathic pain through α2-adrenergic receptors. Second, increasing noradrenaline acts on the locus coeruleus and improves the function of an impaired descending noradrenergic inhibitory system. Serotonin and dopamine may reinforce the noradrenergic effects to inhibit neuropathic pain. The mechanisms of neuropathic pain inhibition by antidepressants based mainly on experimental findings from animal models of neuropathic pain are discussed in this review.

217 citations