Breakthrough could lead to better antipsychotic drugs

Although antipsychotic drugs are among the most widely prescribed medications, individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism-spectrum disorders often experience severe side effects because the drugs interact with dozens of other brain receptors. Now, scientists have solved the first high-resolution crystal structure of the dopamine 2 receptor (DRD2) bound to the antipsychotic drug risperidone, yielding a long-awaited tool for drug developers, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists.