Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor antagonists.

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) coordinates the neural, endocrine and immune responses of the body to stress. Therefore, CRF receptors are important targets for the design of drugs for depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. Several laboratories have published extensive preclinical and limited clinical research into the role of CRF in human disease. This review covers developments in the patent literature during 2002 - 2006 and outlines the prospects for CRF-based therapy for mental illness.