Whereas drugs are intended to be selective, at least some bind to several physiologic targets, explaining both side effects and efficacy. As many drug-target combinations exist, it would be useful to explore possible interactions computationally. Here, we compared 3,665 FDA-approved and investigational drugs against hundreds of targets, defining each target by its ligands. Chemical similarities between drugs and ligand sets predicted thousands of unanticipated associations. Thirty were tested experimentally, including the antagonism of the β1 receptor by the transporter inhibitor Prozac, the inhibition of the 5-HT transporter by the ion channel drug Vadilex, and antagonism of the histamine H4 receptor by the enzyme inhibitor Rescriptor. Overall, 23 new drug-target associations were confirmed, five of which were potent (< 100 nM). The physiological relevance of one such, the drug DMT on serotonergic receptors, was confirmed in a knock-out mouse. The chemical similarity approach is systematic and comprehensive, and may suggest side-effects and new indications for many drugs.

As a result of superior efficacy and overall tolerability, atypical antipsychotic drugs have become the treatment of choice for schizophrenia and related disorders, despite their side effects. Weight gain is a common and potentially serious complication of some antipsychotic drug therapy, and may be accompanied by hyperlipidemia, hypertension and hyperglycemia and, in some extreme cases, diabetic ketoacidosis. The molecular mechanism(s) responsible for antipsychotic drug-induced weight gain are unknown, but have been hypothesized to be because of interactions of antipsychotic drugs with several neurotransmitter receptors, including 5-HT 2A and 5-HT 2C serotonin receptors, H 1 -histamine receptors, a 1 -and a 2 -adrenergic receptors, and m3-muscarinic receptors. To determine the receptor(s) likely to be responsible for antipsychotic-drug-induced weight gain, we screened 17 typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs for binding to 12 neurotransmitter receptors. H 1 -histamine receptor affinities for this group of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs were significantly correlated with weight gain (Spearman r ¼ À0.72; po0.01), as were affinities for a 1A adrenergic (r ¼ À0.54; po0.05), 5-HT 2C (r ¼ À0.49; po0.05) and 5-HT 6 receptors (r ¼ À0.54; po0.05), whereas eight other receptors' affinities were not. A principal components analysis showed that affinities at the H 1 , a 2A , a 2B , 5-HT 2A , 5-HT 2C , and 5-HT 6 receptors were most highly correlated with the first principal component, and affinities for the D 2 , 5-HT 1A , and 5-HT 7 receptors were most highly correlated with the second principal component. A discriminant functions analysis showed that affinities for the H 1 and a 1A receptors were most highly correlated with the discriminant function axis. The discriminant function analysis, as well as the affinity for the H 1 -histamine receptor alone, correctly classified 15 of the 17 drugs into two groups; those that induce weight gain and those that do not. Because centrally acting H 1 -histamine receptor antagonists are known to induce weight gain with chronic use, and because H 1 -histamine receptor affinities are positively correlated with weight gain among typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs, it is recommended that the next generation of atypical antipsychotic drugs be screened to avoid H 1 -histamine receptors.

Our data imply that activation of 5-HT(2B) receptors is necessary to produce VHD and that serotonergic medications that do not activate 5-HT(2B) receptors are unlikely to produce VHD. We suggest that all clinically available medications with serotonergic activity and their active metabolites be screened for agonist activity at 5-HT(2B) receptors and that clinicians should consider suspending their use of medications with significant activity at 5-HT(2B) receptors.

The diterpene salvinorin A from Salvia divinorum has recently been reported to be a high-affinity and selective -opioid receptor agonist (Roth et al., 2002). Salvinorin A and selected derivatives were found to be potent and efficacious agonists in several measures of agonist activity using cloned human -opioid receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney-293 cells. Thus, salvinorin A, salvinorinyl-2-propionate, and salvinorinyl-2-heptanoate were found to be either full (salvinorin A) or partial (2-propionate, 2-heptanoate) agonists for inhibition of forskolinstimulated cAMP production. Additional studies of agonist potency and efficacy of salvinorin A, performed by cotransfecting either the chimeric G proteins Gaq-i5 or the universal G protein Ga16 and quantification of agonist-evoked intracellular calcium mobilization, affirmed that salvinorin A was a potent and effective -opioid agonist. Results from structure-function studies suggested that the nature of the substituent at the 2-position of salvinorin A was critical for -opioid receptor binding and activation. Because issues of receptor reserve complicate estimates of agonist efficacy and potency, we also examined the agonist actions of salvinorin A by measuring potassium conductance through G protein-gated K ϩ channels coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes, a system in which receptor reserve is minimal. Salvinorin A was found to be a full agonist, being significantly more efficacious than (trans)-

Recent findings have implicated the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2B (5-HT 2B ) serotonin receptor in mediating the heart valve fibroplasia [valvular heart disease (VHD)] and primary pulmonary hypertension observed in patients taking the now-banned appetite suppressant fenfluramine (Pondimin, Redux). Via large-scale, random screening of a portion of the receptorome, we have discovered that the amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") and its N-demethylated metabolite 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) each preferentially bind to and activate human recombinant 5-HT 2B receptors. We also demonstrate that MDMA and MDA, like fenfluramine and its N-deethylated metabolite norfenfluramine, elicit prolonged mitogenic responses in human valvular interstitial cells via activation of 5-HT 2B receptors. We also report that pergolide and dihydroergotamine, two drugs recently demonstrated to induce VHD in humans, potently activate 5-HT 2B receptors, thus validating this assay system for its ability to predict medications that might induce VHD. Our discovery that MDMA and a major metabolite, MDA, induce prolonged mitogenic responses in vitro similar to those induced by fenfluramine and norfenfluramine in vivo (i.e., valvular interstitial cell fibroplasia) predict that long-term MDMA use could lead to the development of fenfluramine-like VHD. Because of the widespread abuse of MDMA, these findings have major public health implications. These findings also underscore the necessity of screening current and future drugs at h5-HT 2B receptors for agonist actions before their use in humans.