Light-Activated Pharmacological Tools for Exploring the Cholinergic System

Cholinergic transmission plays a critical role in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, affecting processes such as learning, memory, and inflammation. Conventional cholinergic drugs generally suffer from poor selectivity and temporal precision, leading to undesired effects and limited th...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Colleoni, Alessio, Galli, Giulia, Dallanoce, Clelia, Amici, Marco de, Gorostiza Langa, Pablo Ignacio, Matera, Carlo
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/221269
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/221269
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Fotofarmacologia
Bioquímica
Receptors colinèrgics
Photopharmacology
Biochemistry
Acetylcholine receptors
Descrição
Resumo:Cholinergic transmission plays a critical role in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, affecting processes such as learning, memory, and inflammation. Conventional cholinergic drugs generally suffer from poor selectivity and temporal precision, leading to undesired effects and limited therapeutic efficacy. Photopharmacology aims to overcome the limitations of traditional drugs using photocleavable or photoswitchable ligands and spatiotemporal patterns of illumination. Spanning from muscarinic and nicotinic modulators to cholinesterase inhibitors, this review explores the development and application of light-activated compounds as tools for unraveling the role of cholinergic signaling in both physiological and pathological contexts, while also paving the way for innovative phototherapeutic approaches.