Proceedings from the Fourth International Symposium on σ-2 Receptors: Role in Health and Disease

The σ-2 receptor (S2R) complex has been implicated in CNS disorders ranging from anxiety and depression to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The proteins comprising the S2R complex impact processes including autophagy, cholesterol synthesis, progesterone signaling, lipid membrane-bound protein trafficking, and receptor stabilization at the cell surface. While there has been much progress in understanding the role of S2R in cellular processes and its potential therapeutic value, a great deal remains unknown. The International Symposium on Sigma-2 Receptors is held in conjunction with the annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference to promote collaboration and advance the field of S2R research. This review summarizes updates presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Sigma-2 Receptors: Role in Health and Disease, a Satellite Symposium held at the 2019 SfN conference. Interdisciplinary members of the S2R research community presented both previously published and preliminary results from ongoing studies of the role of S2R in cellular metabolism, the anatomic and cellular expression patterns of S2R, the relationship between S2R and amyloid β (Aβ) in AD, the role of S2R complex protein PGRMC1 in health and disease, and the efforts to design new S2R ligands for the purposes of research and drug development. The proceedings from this symposium are reported here as an update on the field of S2R research, as well as to highlight the value of the symposia that occur yearly in conjunction with the SfN conference.