AB-MDMSBA-Not a Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist

Area of Science:

• Forensic Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Synthetic cannabinoids are a major class of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).
• Novel compounds continue to emerge despite regulatory bans.
• AB-MDMSBA, a potential synthetic cannabinoid, was recently identified with limited data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the pharmacological activity of AB-MDMSBA at the human cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1).
• To determine if AB-MDMSBA functions as a synthetic cannabinoid.

Main Methods:

• Assessed AB-MDMSBA's ability to activate cAMP and β-arrestin 2 pathways.
• Utilized a CB1 biosensor to detect conformational changes induced by AB-MDMSBA.
• Compared AB-MDMSBA's activity to a known synthetic agonist, AMB-FUBINACA.

Main Results:

• AB-MDMSBA did not activate the cAMP or β-arrestin 2 pathways.
• No conformational change was observed in the CB1 biosensor upon exposure to AB-MDMSBA.
• These results contrast with the activity of the known synthetic cannabinoid agonist AMB-FUBINACA.

Conclusions:

• AB-MDMSBA does not appear to be a synthetic cannabinoid.
• Findings may assist in the classification of novel psychoactive substances.
• This research aids in identifying compounds with similar structures.