Partial agonist

Partial agonist is a term used in pharmacology to describe a drug or substance that, when binding to a receptor, has less effect than a full agonist, even at maximum occupancy.

Mechanism of Action

A partial agonist works by binding to and activating a given receptor, but has only partial efficacy at the receptor relative to a full agonist. They may also block the activity of full agonists in systems where they are present. This can be beneficial in situations where it is desirable to have some receptor activation but not full activation.

Examples

Some examples of partial agonists include buprenorphine, which is a partial agonist of the mu-opioid receptor, and aripiprazole, a partial agonist at the D2 receptor.

Clinical Use

Partial agonists can be used in clinical settings to achieve a desired level of effect that is less than the maximum possible. This can be useful in situations where full activation of a receptor could lead to undesirable side effects.

See Also

• Agonist
• Antagonist
• Inverse agonist
• Receptor (biochemistry)

Partial agonist Resources
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