Pharmacological selection of cannabinoid receptor effectors: Signalling, allosteric modulation and bias

The type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) is a promising drug target for a wide range of diseases. However, many existing and novel candidate ligands for CB1 have shown only limited therapeutic potential. Indeed, no ligands are currently approved for the clinic except formulations of the phytocannabinoids Delta 9-THC and CBD and a small number of analogues. A key limitation of many promising CB1 ligands are their on-target adverse effects, notably including psychoactivity (agonists) and depression/suicidal ideation (inverse agonists). Recent drug development attempts have therefore focussed on altering CB1 signalling profiles in two ways. Firstly, with compounds that enhance or reduce the signalling of endogenous (endo-) cannabinoids, namely allosteric modulators. Secondly, with compounds that probe the capability of selectively targeting specific cellular signalling pathways that may mediate therapeutic effects using biased ligands. This review will summarise the current paradigm of CB1 signalling in terms of the intracellular transduction pathways acted on by the receptor. The development of compounds that selectively activate CB1 signalling pathways, whether allosterically or via orthosteric agonist bias, will also be addressed.

Automated summary

The CB1 receptor is a promising drug target for a wide range of diseases, but existing ligands have limited therapeutic potential. Recent drug development efforts have focused on altering CB1 signaling by modulating endocannabinoid signaling or selectively targeting specific cellular pathways.