Histamine H3 Receptor: A Potential Drug Target for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Disorders

Histamine H3 receptors were first described in the eighties but finally cloned four years ago. They are G-protein coupled, mostly presynaptic, and are involved in the control of the synthesis and / or release of different neurotransmitters both in the central nervous system and the periphery. The availabiliy of specific ligands has permitted the study of potential therapeutic applications of either stimulating or blocking the function of these receptors. There is experimental evidence that drugs targeted at histamine H3 receptors could be beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, drug abuse and several affective, appetite and sleeping disorders, among others. This review presents recent advances in this field.