Xavier Gómez‐Santacana

The paper shows that mGlu5 expression is asymmetrically distributed in the hippocampus of wild-type mice, and this asymmetry is lost in AD model mice, with left-specific inhibition of mGlu5 restoring memory and reversing pathology.

This paper develops a photoswitchable positive allosteric modulator of mGlu5 that activates the receptor in response to light, demonstrating reversible isomerization and light-dependent activity.

The paper uses light-sensitive drugs to show that mGlu5 receptor blockade in specific brain regions has different effects on pain, with some areas reducing analgesia and others enhancing it.