Overview | p53 | p63 | ACE-2 | Prokineticin | Kisspeptin | VEGF | Epigenetics | Neuropathy | Studies
Prokineticin was drawn to our attention when it was spotted by someone who made a link to enduring sexual dysfunctions.
It looks like a promising protein – it mediates the emotional aspect of touch that seems missing in post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), post-finasteride syndrome (PFS), post-retinoid sexual dysfunction (PRSD), and also persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD).
Prokineticin was mentioned in the Holy Grail post and in RxISK Prize and Research Fund, with links to the work of one group of researchers working on this and their emails.
There are almost certainly lots of other researchers working on this. Finding them will involve looking up articles on prokineticin or PROKR-1 or PROKR-2 and tracking them down.
Articles
How Pleasant Touch Sends Feel-Good Vibes up the Spine
Molecular and neural basis of pleasant touch sensation
Effect of prokineticin on rat testes
I found a Japanese study from 2009 that found a possible connection between PROKR-2 and mood disorders. See below:
Possible Association of Prokineticin 2 Receptor Gene (PROKR2) with Mood Disorders in the Japanese Population
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12017-009-8067-0
I also found a Danish study that showed PROK2 was one of three genes whose RNA expression levels at baseline and week 8 are significantly (FDR < 0.05) associated with treatment response after 8 weeks of treatment with vortioxetine. Downregulation of this genes was associated with poorer treatment response. See the open access article below:
A large-scale genome-wide gene expression analysis in peripheral blood identifies very few differentially expressed genes related to antidepressant treatment and response in patients with major depressive disorder
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-021-01002-9
Here’s a 2018 study from China, which shows that prokineticin 2 can directly effect the genitals of male rats. See below:
Effects of prokineticin 2 on testicular inflammation in rats.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aji.12843