title: Minocycline: therapeutic potential in psychiatry.
abstract: Pharmacological interventions to treat psychiatric illness have previously focused on modifying dysfunctional neurotransmitter systems to improve symptoms. However, imperfect understanding of the aetiology of these heterogeneous syndromes has been associated with poor treatment outcomes for many individuals. Growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress, inflammation, changes in glutamatergic pathways and neurotrophins play important roles in many psychiatric illnesses including mood disorders, schizophrenia and addiction. These novel insights into pathophysiology allow new treatment targets to be explored. Minocycline is an antibiotic that can modulate glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Given that these mechanisms overlap with the newly understood pathophysiological pathways, minocycline has potential as an adjunctive treatment in psychiatry. To date there have been promising clinical indications that minocycline may be a useful treatment in psychiatry, albeit from small trials most of which were not placebo controlled. Case reports of individuals with schizophrenia, psychotic symptoms and bipolar depression have shown serendipitous benefits of minocycline treatment on psychiatric symptoms. Minocycline has been trialled in open-label or small randomized controlled trials in psychiatry. Results vary, with findings supporting use in schizophrenia, but showing less benefit for nicotine dependence and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Given the limited data from rigorous clinical trials, further research is required. However, taken together, the current evidence suggests minocycline may be a promising novel therapy in psychiatry.
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC, Australia. oliviad@barwonhealth.org.au
authors.forename: Olivia M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Data-Franco
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giorlando
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008911:Minocycline / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D008911:Minocycline