LP-44 is a drug which acts as a potent and selective agonist

Agonist

An agonist is a chemical that binds to a receptor of a cell and triggers a response by that cell. Agonists often mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance...

 at the 5HT₇

5-HT7 receptor

The 5-HT7 receptor is a member of the GPCR superfamily of cell surface receptors and is activated by the neurotransmitter serotonin The 5-HT7 receptor is coupled to Gs and is expressed in a variety of human tissues, particularly in the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, and in various...

 serotonin

Serotonin

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system of animals including humans...

 receptor

Receptor (biochemistry)

In biochemistry, a receptor is a molecule found on the surface of a cell, which receives specific chemical signals from neighbouring cells or the wider environment within an organism...

. While LP-44 is less selective than the related compound LP-12

LP-12

LP-12 is a drug which acts as a potent agonist at the 5HT7 serotonin receptor, with very high selectivity over other tested receptor subtypes such as the serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A, and the dopamine D2 receptor. It has been used to research the involvement of the 5-HT7 receptor in as yet poorly...

, it has been more widely used in research and has been used to show the complex role of 5-HT₇ receptors in several aspects of brain function, including regulation of the sleep-wake cycle and roles in stress, learning and memory.