Negative allosteric modulator
Encyclopedia
A negative allosteric modulator (NAM) is a drug
which decreases the activity of a receptor
indirectly via disactivation of an allosteric site on the protein
. NAMs are similar to inverse agonist
s in that they conteract overall receptor activation, but they are different because they do so in a functionally distinctive way.
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
which decreases the activity of a receptor
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...
indirectly via disactivation of an allosteric site on the protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
. NAMs are similar to inverse agonist
Inverse agonist
In the field of pharmacology, an inverse agonist is an agent that binds to the same receptor as an agonist but induces a pharmacological response opposite to that agonist....
s in that they conteract overall receptor activation, but they are different because they do so in a functionally distinctive way.