title: New therapeutic targets for mood disorders.
abstract: Existing pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are often insufficient for many patients. Here we describe a number of targets/compounds that clinical and preclinical studies suggest could result in putative novel treatments for mood disorders. These include: (1) glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) and protein kinase C (PKC), (2) the purinergic system, (3) histone deacetylases (HDACs), (4) the melatonergic system, (5) the tachykinin neuropeptides system, (6) the glutamatergic system, and (7) oxidative stress and bioenergetics. The paper reviews data on new compounds that have shown antimanic or antidepressant effects in subjects with mood disorders, or similar effects in preclinical animal models. Overall, an improved understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of mood disorders is critical in order to develop targeted treatments that are more effective, act more rapidly, and are better tolerated than currently available therapies.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics, Mood and Anxiety Disorders Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. machadovieirar@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Machado-Vieira
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salvadore
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: DiazGranados
authors.forename: Lobna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Latov
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wheeler-Castillo
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Ioline D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Henter
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Zarate
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents