Clozapine ''N''-oxide (CNO) is a synthetic drug used mainly in biomedical research as a

ligand In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule ( functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's elec ...

to activate DREADD receptors. Although CNO was initially believed to be biologically inert and an agonist of DREADDs, it has been shown not to enter the brain after administration and to reverse metabolise ''in vivo'' into

clozapine Clozapine is a psychiatric medication and is the first atypical antipsychotic (also called second-generation antipsychotic). It is primarily used to treat people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders who have had an inadequate respo ...

which has a series of effects on the DREADDs as well as serotonin and

dopamine receptor Dopamine receptors are a class of G protein-coupled receptors that are prominent in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). Dopamine receptors activate different effectors through not only G-protein coupling, but also signaling through diffe ...

s. Alternatives to CNO with more affinity, more inert character, and faster kinetics include Compound 21 (C21) and deschloroclozapine (DCZ).

References

{{reflist Neuroscience Pharmacology