Publications by authors named "Jara Bouma"

Article Synopsis
  • The cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CBR) plays a key role in various bodily functions, including appetite, pain, memory, and body temperature regulation, but our understanding of its cellular signaling and dynamics is limited.
  • Researchers developed new fluorescent probes for CBR by using a modular design approach that centers around a diethyl glycine-based building block, making synthesis easier and more efficient.
  • Validation of these probes through various assays supports their potential use in real-time imaging studies to explore CBR's localization, movement, and effects in different diseases.
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Cannabinoid CB receptor (CBR) is a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) involved in a broad spectrum of physiological processes and pathological conditions. For that reason, targeting CBR might provide therapeutic opportunities in neurodegenerative disorders, neuropathic pain, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. The main components from Cannabis sativa, such as Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), have been therapeutically exploited and synthetically-derived analogs have been generated.

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Evaluation of kinetic parameters of drug-target binding, k, k, and residence time (RT), in addition to the traditional in vitro parameter of affinity is receiving increasing attention in the early stages of drug discovery. Target binding kinetics emerges as a meaningful concept for the evaluation of a ligand's duration of action and more generally drug efficacy and safety. We report the biological evaluation of a novel series of spirobenzo-oxazinepiperidinone derivatives as inhibitors of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1, SLC29A1).

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers have discovered a new cannabinoid receptor (CBR) agonist called LEI-102, used alongside other CBR ligands to understand how these compounds activate the receptor.
  • The study reveals important molecular details, including specific residues necessary for CBR activation and the differences in how various ligands reach the receptor's binding site.
  • Findings also indicate that LEI-102’s favorable chemical properties allow it to be effective orally in a model of kidney damage caused by chemotherapy, suggesting implications for future drug design targeting GPCRs.
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Cannabinoid receptor 1 (CBR) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CBR) are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that activate a variety of pathways upon activation by (partial) agonists including the G protein pathway and the recruitment of β-arrestins. Differences in the activation level of these pathways lead to biased signaling. Here, we describe a detailed protocol to characterize the potency and efficacy of ligands to induce or inhibit β-arrestin recruitment to the human CBR and CBR using the PathHunter assay.

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