New Study Reveals Potential Breakthrough in Drug Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Targeting Secretagogin’s Molecular Mechanisms

2024-04-10 05:48:36

(Vienna, April 10, 2024) As part of a study currently published in the specialist journal PNAS, a research team led by MedUni Vienna was able to present results that show a new possibility for the development of drug therapy for, among other things, post-traumatic stress disorder. Although around four percent of the population suffers from this mental illness, only symptomatic therapies are currently available.

As part of the study, the international research team, led by Robert Schnell from the Center for Brain Research at MedUni Vienna, looked for ways to influence hormone release, in particular to reduce stress reactions in post-traumatic stress disorders. They came across secretagogin, a molecule that was discovered 25 years ago by Ludwig Wagner from the Medical University of Vienna and regulates the release of neurotransmitters and hormones.

While previous research has demonstrated the importance of secretagogin in insulin and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) release, the current study reveals new insights into the molecular mechanisms behind secretagogin’s action. The study identified two proteins, SNAP-25 and syntaxin-4, that act antagonistically to bind to secretagogues, thereby influencing the release of so-called vesicles containing hormones and insulin.

“The discovery of these molecular interactions makes secretagogin a potential target for pharmacology and could help influence hormone secretion in various organs of the human body. This could create new therapeutic options for the treatment of diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorders, anxiety disorders or even diabetes,” says Robert Schnell, underlining the relevance of the study, which was supported by both an ERC Advanced Grant and an ERC Proof of Concept. Grant for Tibor Harkany at the Department of Molecular Neurosciences of the Center for Brain Research at MedUni Vienna.

Publikation: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
A hydrophobic groove in secretagogin allows for alternate interactions with SNAP-25 and syntaxin-4 in endocrine tissues
Edith Szodorai, Zsofia Hevesi, Ludwig Wagner, Thomas GM Hökfeldt, Tibor Harkany, and Robert Schnell
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309211121