Corticotropin-releasing factor-1 (CRF-1) is one of the most validated targets for the development of antagonists against depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders.
The class B corticotropin-releasing hormone type 1 receptor (CRHR1) is a key player in the stress response whose dysregulation is critically involved in stress-related disorders: psychiatric conditions (i.e. depression, anxiety, and addictions), neuroendocrinological alterations, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Over-activation of the CRF system has been implicated in many disorders including anxiety, depression, drug addiction, hypertension, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), peptic ulcers, inflammation and others.
Rationally, this means that interfering with binding of CRF to its intended receptors can be an attractive target for drug design aiming at developing new medications for many ailments that are associated with stress such as depression, anxiety and stress-induced relapse in drug addiction.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling through CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) regulates autonomic, endocrine and behavioral responses to stress and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several disorders including anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) serves as a neuromodulator in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, playing an essential role in depression, anxiety, and pain regulation.
This raises the question of whether more direct interventions such as CRH receptor antagonists would open a new lead in the treatment of stress-related disorders such as depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.