Cutamesine (SA 4503) is a synthetic sigma receptoragonist which is selective for the σ1 receptor, a chaperone protein mainly found in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells in the central nervous system.[1][2][3][4] These σ1 receptors play a key role in the modulation of Ca2+ release and apoptosis.[3] Cutamesine's activation of the σ1 receptor is tied to a variety of physiological phenomena in the CNS, including activation of dopamine-releasing neurons and repression of the MAPK/ERK pathway.[5][6]
^Skuza, Grazyna (November 2003). "Potential antidepressant activity of sigma ligands". Polish Journal of Pharmacology. 55 (6): 923–934. ISSN1230-6002. PMID14730086.
^Weissman, A. D.; Su, T. P.; Hedreen, J. C.; London, E. D. (October 1988). "Sigma receptors in post-mortem human brains". The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 247 (1): 29–33. ISSN0022-3565. PMID2845055.