A new kind of drug, which helps dim dopamine, is being created by researchers to add to the list of schizophrenia drugs. Most of these drugs block out the dopamine which causes serious side effects.

One per cent of the world's population suffer from schizophrenia which affects the ability to think, feel and act and has symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.

Published in 'Nature Chemical Biology, the findings bring in a factor of hope that schizophrenia can be controlled by a "dimmer switch" which helps dim the dopamine, eliminating the side effect caused by the complete blockage of dopamine.

Serious side effects are caused by current antipsychotic medicines as they cause the complete blockage of dopamine, explained Rob Lane from the Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences. He added that since the protein, dopamine, is important for control of movement, it causes serious side effects and the effects are seen even after stopping medication.

Professor Arthur Christopoulos has suggested that understanding the biology of schizoprenia will help develop effective drugs and the new medication with the "dimmer switch" can help create a new class of antipsychotic medication.

Lane explained that doing the research gives the researchers more information about the protein. The team found that depending on the arrangement of the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain, the mechanism of the action also changes.

On the working of the new drug, Christopoulos said that they had found a molecule that subtly dials down the effect of the dopamine. This is possible by binding the active and regulatory sites on the receptor. He explained that when they figure out the right amount of dialing down, they will be able to treat the disease and avoid the common side effects.

The next step of the research is for the team to work alongside the chemists at Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences to develop a better version of the drug.