6-MBPB, also known as 6-(2-methylaminobutyl)benzofuran (6-MABB), is a

monoamine releasing agent A monoamine releasing agent (MRA), or simply monoamine releaser, is a drug that induces the release of one or more monoamine neurotransmitters from the presynaptic neuron into the synapse, leading to an increase in the extracellular concentrati ...

(MRA) and

entactogen Entactogens, also known as empathogens or connectogens, are a class of psychoactive drugs that induce the production of experiences of emotional communion, oneness, connectedness, emotional openness—that is, empathy—as particularly observe ...

-like

drug A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...

of the

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from Alpha and beta carbon, alpha-methylphenethylamine, methylphenethylamine) is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, an ...

phenylisobutylamine Phenylisobutylamine, also known as α-ethylphenethylamine (AEPEA) or as butanphenamine (B), is a stimulant drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine families. It is a higher homologue of amphetamine, differing from amphetamine's molecular struc ...

, and

benzofuran Benzofuran is the heterocyclic compound consisting of fused benzene and furan rings. This colourless liquid is a component of coal tar. Benzofuran is the structural nucleus (parent compound) of many related compounds with more complex stru ...

families. It is a

positional isomer In chemistry, a structural isomer (or constitutional isomer in the IUPAC nomenclature) of a compound is a compound that contains the same number and type of atoms, but with a different connectivity (i.e. arrangement of bonds) between them. The ...

5-MBPB 5-MBPB (also known as 5-MPBP and 5-MABB) is an amphetamine and phenylisobutylamine derivative which is structurally related to MDMA and has been sold as a designer drug. It can be described as the benzofuran-5-yl analogue of MBDB or the butan ...

(5-MABB). The drug appears to act as a

serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent A serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA), also known as a triple releasing agent (TRA), is a type of drug which induces the release of serotonin, norepinephrine/epinephrine, and dopamine in the brain and body. SNDRAs produc ...

(SNDRA). The values for induction of monoamine release in rat brain

synaptosome A synaptosome is an isolated synaptic terminal from a neuron. Synaptosomes are obtained by mild homogenization of nervous tissue under isotonic conditions and subsequent fractionation using differential and density gradient centrifugation. Liquid ...

s have been reported for the individual

enantiomer In chemistry, an enantiomer (Help:IPA/English, /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''), also known as an optical isomer, antipode, or optical antipode, is one of a pair of molecular entities whi ...

s of 6-MBPB. In the case of (''S'')-6-MBPB, they were 54nM for

serotonin Serotonin (), also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a monoamine neurotransmitter with a wide range of functions in both the central nervous system (CNS) and also peripheral tissues. It is involved in mood, cognition, reward, learning, ...

, 77nM for

norepinephrine Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic compound, organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and human body, body as a hormone, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. The ...

, and 41nM for

dopamine Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. It is an amine synthesized ...

, whereas for (''R'')-6-MBPB, they were 172nM for serotonin, 227nM for norepinephrine, and inactive for dopamine. Hence, (''S'')-6-MBPB is an SNDRA, whereas (''R'')-MBPB is a

serotonin–norepinephrine releasing agent A serotonin–norepinephrine releasing agent (SNRA) is a type of drug which induces the release of serotonin and norepinephrine (and epinephrine) in the body and/or brain. Only a few SNRAs are known, examples of which include norfenfluramine ...

(SNRA). The enantiomers showed a mixed profile of acting as full versus

partial Partial may refer to: Mathematics *Partial derivative, derivative with respect to one of several variables of a function, with the other variables held constant ** ∂, a symbol that can denote a partial derivative, sometimes pronounced "partial d ...

releasers. 6-MBPB partially substituted for

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is an empathogen–entactogenic drug with stimulant and minor Psychedelic drug, psychedelic properties. In studies, it has been used ...

in animal

drug discrimination Drug discrimination (DD) is a technique in behavioral neuroscience used to evaluate the discriminative stimulus properties or interoceptive cues of psychoactive drugs. In drug discrimination, a subject is trained on a training drug, and then i ...

tests at lower doses and fully substituted for MDMA at the highest dose, suggesting that it has entactogen-like effects. Along with 5-MBPB, 6-MBPB was

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

ed by Matthew Baggott and

Tactogen Tactogen is a public benefit corporation and start-up pharmaceutical company based in Palo Alto, California that is developing novel MDMA-like entactogens and psychedelics as medicines. Its stated goal is to develop new MDMA-like drugs with impr ...

in 2021. It was first described in the

scientific literature Scientific literature encompasses a vast body of academic papers that spans various disciplines within the natural and social sciences. It primarily consists of academic papers that present original empirical research and theoretical ...

by 2022. 6-MBPB, along with other drugs like 5-MBPB, is being investigated as a novel MDMA-like drug for potential therapeutic purposes in medicine.

References

External links

6-MBPB (6-MABB) - isomer design
6-Benzofuranethanamines Entactogens Experimental entactogens Phenylisobutylamines Serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agents {{Psychoactive-stub