‘Sleep hormone’ may lead to new treatments
WASHINGTON - Hürriyet Daily News
Scientists have unravelled the inner workings of melatonin, also known as the “sleep hormone,” making a major breakthrough for the development of new and promising treatments for insomnia, according to the Journal of Neuroscience (ANI).The team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University revealed the key role played by the melatonin receptor in the brain that promotes deep, restorative sleep. This discovery led the researchers to develop a novel drug called UCM765, which selectively activates this receptor. The results may pave the way for the development of new and promising treatments for insomnia, a common public health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. “We’ve spent many years to develop medications that act selectively on a single melatonin receptor to specifically promote deep sleep, said Dr. Gabriella Gobbi.
