Manika Sehgal
JUIT, Waknaghat, Solan, H.P., Shimla, India.

ABSTRACT

The current paper aims to design an in silico structure-based drug for treating the disease Schizophrenia. The word Schizophrenia (“split mind”) was coined by Eugen Bleuler in 1908.The disease manifests as abnormal thought processes, behaviour and perception. The disease has been found to affect a part of the brain called Substantia nigra. An excessive amount of the neurotransmitter-dopamine bombards the mesolimbic pathway in which transmission of dopamine occurs from Substantia nigra to striatum. From the research work done over many years, it was found that an increased level of dopamine causes Schizophrenia. Excessive binding of this neurotransmitter to Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), a G protein-coupled receptor, leads to the hyperactivity of DRD2 causing over-inhibition of adenylyl cyclase which results in the symptoms of schizophrenia. In the current project, attempts have been made to use DRD2 as the potential drug target to cure Schizophrenia. Dopamine Receptor D2 protein in humans is encoded by the DRD2 gene. It has been reported that the DRD2 inhibitors can control the hyperactivity of DRD2, helping to cure the symptoms of Schizophrenia. Various software and computational tools have been used to design the putative drug for the potential treatment of Schizophrenia. Read more…