Social creatures, including us, are naturally drawn to social stimuli. We are more attracted to biological motion, faces, and other social cues than we are to trees, rocks, or other inanimate objects. Social interactions are critical for our well-being. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder or schizophrenia display diminished interest in social stimuli and may be socially withdrawn. In addition, social phobias and social anxiety can have devastating impacts on the development of healthy social relationships. A study published in this issue by Lukas et al (2011) from Inga Neumann's group in Regensburg, Germany, used rats and mice to explore the role of the neuropeptide, oxytocin, on the preference for social stimuli and a form of social anxiety induced by social defeat. These preclinical studies in animals have important implications for developing novel pharmacotherapies for psychiatric disorders with muted social interest and elevated social withdrawal.

Oxytocin has had a prominent spotlight in biology for over a century (Burbach et al, 2006), and is now experiencing a renaissance in neuropsychopharmacology. In 1906, Sir Henry Dale found that the constituents in the pituitary potently stimulate uterine contractions, an activity that he dubbed as ‘oxytocin,’ from the Greek meaning ‘quick birth’. Oxytocin also stimulates milk ejection during nursing, making it the quintessential maternal hormone. Oxytocin was the very first peptide to have its structure defined and synthesized, leading to a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Vincent du Vigneaud in 1955.

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