The Discovery of a Selective, Small Molecule Agonist for the Mas-Related Gene X1 Receptor

The novel 7-transmembrane receptor MrgX1 is located predominantly in the dorsal root ganglion and has consequently been implicated in the perception of pain. Here we describe the discovery and optimization of a small molecule agonist and initial docking studies of this ligand into the receptor in order to provide a suitable lead and tool compound for the elucidation of the physiological function of the receptor.