Melatonin receptor agonists, potential drugs for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Martin Storr
• Subject Area: Gastroenterology
• Term: from 2013 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 237650470

In the adult population irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a prevalence of ~12%. Current therapeutic approaches are symptomatic and attempt to reduce abdominal pain and disturbed bowel movements. From basic science we learned that agonists at the melatonin receptors slow down gastrointestinal transit and reduce experimental abdominal pain. Such a multimodal type of action would be extremely novel in the treatment of IBS and would meet unmet needs. Preliminary uncontrolled clinical trials support a beneficial effect of melatonin on symptoms of patients with IBS. A general characterisation of site of action and mode of action of melatonin in this context needs to be done prior to any further clinical study activity. There is a lack of basic science studies characterizing principles of pharmacological and physiological activity of the melatoninergic system on gastrointestinal function. The here suggested project will provide us with the respective pharmacological and physiological characterisations and clarifications that are urgently needed in order to promote the currently available information of melatonin action in the gut into future treatment in gastrointestinal disease. Furthermore the basic science concept includes morphological and pharmacological translation of the findings into human tissue. The overarching concept is to provide mechanistic concepts that facilitate the translation of our knowledge on melatoninergic control in the gut into clinical trials and help with respective clinical study design and patient selection from patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders like IBS.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants