Brain protein peps up and soothes rodents

A recently identified brain hormone increases wakefulness and appears to suppress fear when it’s injected into rodents. The protein could lead to drugs for narcolepsy, sleepiness, or anxiety, suggest its discoverers, who dubbed the chemical neuropeptide S.

Researchers detected neuropeptide S several years ago, after they had surmised its molecular form from the shape of a receptor for the hormone on the surfaces of certain cells in brain, thyroid, and a few other tissues.