title: Telomerase activation as a possible mechanism of action for psychopharmacological interventions.
abstract: Originally studied in relation to aging and cancer research, telomerase is now also investigated in relation to psychiatric disorders and treatments. Based on emerging clinical and preclinical data, we hypothesise that telomerase activation could represent a novel element mediating the mechanism of action of certain psychopharmacological interventions (e.g. antidepressants, lithium and antipsychotics). The modulation of intracellular Wnt/β-catenin or PI3K/Akt signalling pathways, the interaction with BDNF and 5-HT, and the antioxidant properties could represent possible mechanisms by which the different types of psychiatric medications could modulate telomerase activity. The potential of telomerase in promoting cellular survival and/or function in the brain and in the periphery could, in turn, represent a neurobiological substrate through which the enzyme can mediate the therapeutic effect of such interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Clinical Sciences, Section for Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lindqvist
authors.affiliation: Department of OB/GYN and Reproductive Science, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Synthia H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mellon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brenda W J H
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Penninx
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Josine E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Verhoeven
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dóra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Révész
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Victor I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Reus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: Owen.Wolkowitz@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Owen M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Wolkowitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D019098:Telomerase