Melatonin receptors: potential targets for central nervous system disorders

The pineal hormone melatonin has become the subject of considerable speculation in both the scientific and lay press. Media coverage, coupled with scientific interest fuelled by the recent molecular cloning of a family of melatonin receptors, has led to a renaissance in melatonin research. While numerous physiological effects have been attributed to melatonin, the lack of selective agonists and antagonists for individual melatonin receptor subtypes has hampered progress towards the elucidation of the roles of these receptors. This review focuses on the molecular and pharmacological characterisation of melatonin receptors, the possible clinical utility of melatonin receptor ligands, and the progress towards the identification of selective ligands for these receptors.