title: Beyond serotonin.
abstract: Available therapies for treating depression, even the specific serotonin reuptake blockers, may not act via a serotonergic mechanism. Regardless of the mechanism of action, limitations in efficacy, onset of action, and side effects of all available antidepressant drugs indicate the need for further efforts to develop superior treatments of depression. A number of novel approaches are currently being investigated, including beta-adrenergic agonists, alpha-adrenergic antagonists, tetrahydrobiopterin, GABAergic drugs and non-pharmacologic therapies such as light therapy. These treatments may act independently of serotonin, yet there are intriguing suggestions that even their action is linked to serotonin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Oh. 44106.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Meltzer
mesh_terms: D000263:Adenylate Kinase / Q000502:physiology; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010789:Phototherapy; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D001708:Biopterins; D012701:Serotonin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000263:Adenylate Kinase; C003402:sapropterin