Drug targets intracellular receptors

The main drug targets are enzymes and receptors that are found on the cell surface or reside within the intracellular matrix. 

The main drug targets are enzymes, intracellular receptors, and extracellular (cell surface) receptors. Drugs are normally designed to interact with these entities either as agonists or antagonists to achieve control over the disease pathway. 

In my admittedly biased view, the most coherent approach is that of a profoundly disturbed stress system that under specific conditions paves the way to development of mood disorders. These stress-system alterations can be genetic or acquired through trauma in early life or even in utero. Consistent with this neuroendocrine hypothesis are findings that centrally released neuropeptides that drive the HPA system also have behavioral effects that are similar to affective symptoms. This view is further supported by the documented ability of various antidepressants to enhance corticosteroid receptor synthesis and efficacy. Moreover, the stress system, particularly the corticosteroids and their receptors, interferes with all of the neurotransmitter receptor systems, including intracellular signaling, that have been considered in the context of mood disorders. New drugs targeted directly to various elements of the stress system will constitute a major step forward. 

While the major focus of this chapter is on cell surface receptors, the theoretical concepts involved can be applied enzymes and the various classes of intracellular receptors. Thus, for the purposes of this review, any endogenous target at which a drug can act is designated a receptor. 

We discuss below a number of receptor classes and analyze how signals are transduced. These receptors are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channel receptors, tyrosine kinases, and intracellular receptors. A list of selected drugs and target receptors is shown in Table 2.3. 

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