IT MIGHT be possible to develop a pill that turns aggressive louts into mild-mannered gentlemen.
“Peacenik” mice modified to have a missing brain receptor fail to pick the usual fights when “intruder” males are introduced into their cages. That suggests that drugs that block the receptor should reduce aggression, says Scott Young of the US National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. A French company, Sanofi-Synthelabo, has already developed such a drug, though it has yet to be tested on people.
If suitable drugs do turn out to have a calming effect without substantial side effects, Young foresees them…
