Experimental medication treatment approaches for depression.
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric conditions. Symptoms can lead to significant disability, which result in impairments in overall quality of life. Though there are many approved antidepressant treatments for depression-including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors-about a third of patients do not respond to these medications. Therefore, it is imperative for drug discovery to continue towards the development of novel and rapidly acting compounds, especially for patients with treatment-resistant depression. After a brief review of the efficacy of approved antidepressant therapies, we will discuss experimental medication treatments for depression. Specifically, we examine novel medications that are thought to primarily modulate the glutamatergic, cholinergic and opioid systems to achieve antidepressant efficacy. We also give examples of anti-inflammatories, neurokinin-1 modulators, vasopressin antagonists and neurogenesis enhancers that may have a therapeutic role in treatment-resistant depression. The current pipeline of antidepressant treatments is shifting towards medications with novel mechanisms, which may lead to important, life-changing discoveries for patients with severe disease.
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Ionescu
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.|Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.|Clinical Trials Network and Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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Papakostas
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065092:Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018678:Cholinergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D065092:Antidiuretic Hormone Receptor Antagonists; D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists