The molecular pharmacology of CGRP and related peptide receptor subtypes.

Calcitonin gene-related peptides (alpha and beta isoforms), better known as CGRPalpha and CGRPbeta, were isolated twenty years ago. In fact, these were the first peptides to be characterized using a molecular cloning strategy, which is not the traditional approach of biochemical extraction and purification. Paradoxically, progress in the characterization of CGRP receptor subtypes has been extremely slow as a result of difficulties in their cloning and the lack of selective receptor subtype agonists and antagonists. However, exciting progress has been made overthe pasttwo years and is briefly reviewed here.