Serotonin

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Press Release No. 27 Berlin

A new drug target for psychiatric disorders

Misha Kudryashev’s lab at the Max Delbrück Center has identified a molecular intermediate of a serotonin receptor that is involved in diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. Published in “The EMBO Journal,” the study points to a potentially new target for therapeutics.
Group picture with the participants of the Serotonin 20 years after Symposium
Science

So much more than a feel-good hormone

In late June, Dr. Natalia Alenina and Prof. Michael Bader hosted the conference “Serotonin – 20 Years After” at the Max Delbrück Center. In this interview, they share conference highlights and reveal that this versatile signaling molecule has some surprising functions in the human body – and some that scientists still don’t understand.
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Press Release No. 53 Berlin

New PhD programs kick off at the MDC

PhD candidates now have the opportunity to apply for two new training programs. The EU is supporting the program for talented early-stage researchers at the MDC and other European research institutions to the tune of €4 million per network.
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Press Release No. 16 Berlin

Fat cells or nerve cells? New research project on the effects of serotonin on cellular differentiation

The research consortium headed by Dr. Natalia Alenina hopes to find out more about the role played by the neurotransmitter serotonin in the formation and differentiation of stem cells. Partners from Russia and Ukraine will work with the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) on this trilateral project, which is receiving a total of €250,000 in funding from the Volkswagen Foundation.
Press Release No. 35 Berlin

Technology transfer success: US approval for bleeding disorder drug

VONVENDI [von Willebrand factor (Recombinant)]”, the new drug from Baxalta Incorporated, a global biopharmaceutical company recently spun off from Baxter International, has just been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. It is the first, and so far the only, recombinant protein for the treatment of von Willebrand disease, and offers those affected a new therapeutic option for the first time in more than 10 years.
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Press Release No. 20 Berlin

Drug candidate based on MDC patent submitted for FDA approval

At the end of last year, Baxter International Inc. announced that the company has submitted a biologics license application to the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the approval of BAX111, a recombinant von Willebrand factor (rVWF) in development for the treatment of patients with von Willebrand disease, the most common type of inherited bleeding disorder. The candidate received orphan-drug designation from both the European Commission and the FDA.
Press Release No. 7 Berlin

Serotonin Mediates Exercise-Induced Generation of New Neurons

New Insights Gained by MDC Researchers in Experiments on Mice
Press Release No. 15 Berlin

Lack of “Happiness Hormone” Serotonin in the Brain Causes Impaired Maternal Behavior in Mice

A lack of serotonin, commonly known as the “happiness hormone”, in the brain slows the growth of mice after birth and is responsible for impaired maternal behavior later in life. This was the result of research conducted by Dr. Natalia Alenina, Dana Kikic, and Professor Michael Bader of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany. At the same time, the researchers discovered that the presence of serotonin in the brain is not crucial for the survival of the animals. Furthermore, they were able to confirm that there are two strictly separate pathways of serotonin production: One gene is responsible for the formation of serotonin in the brain, another gene for the production of the hormone in the body (PNAS, June 23, 2009, Vol. 106, No. 25, pp 10332-10337)*.
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Press Release No. 1 Berlin

MDC Scientists discover a second gene for serotonin synthesis

What makes sure that we are in a good mood, regulates our sleep, appetite, blood pressure and our gut motility ? It’s the hormone serotonin. But what happens if the body is no longer able to make any more serotonin? This is the question that has been investigated by scientists at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch in collaboration with researchers at the Free University (FU) of Berlin und the Humboldt University of Berlin (HUB). Their research has led to the discovery of a new gene, the product of which is responsible for serotonin synthesis in the brain.