Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression
Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. Monoamine-based antidepressants were the first drugs developed to treat major depressive disorder. More recently, ketamine and other analogues were introduced as fast-acting antidepressants. Unfortunately, currently avai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/2/196 |
| _version_ | 1797478683156414464 |
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| author | Elias Elias Ariel Y. Zhang Melissa T. Manners |
| author_facet | Elias Elias Ariel Y. Zhang Melissa T. Manners |
| author_sort | Elias Elias |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. Monoamine-based antidepressants were the first drugs developed to treat major depressive disorder. More recently, ketamine and other analogues were introduced as fast-acting antidepressants. Unfortunately, currently available therapeutics are inadequate; lack of efficacy, adverse effects, and risks leave patients with limited treatment options. Efforts are now focused on understanding the etiology of depression and identifying novel targets for pharmacological treatment. In this review, we discuss promising novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Targeting receptors including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, G-protein-coupled receptor 39, metabotropic glutamate receptors, galanin and opioid receptors has potential antidepressant effects. Compounds targeting biological processes: inflammation, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, and gut microbiota have also shown therapeutic potential. Additionally, natural products including plants, herbs, and fatty acids improved depressive symptoms and behaviors. In this review, a brief history of clinically available antidepressants will be provided, with a primary focus on novel pharmaceutical approaches with promising antidepressant effects in preclinical and clinical studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:35:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ac1a22e015b44018affa15874cdf59d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:35:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ac1a22e015b44018affa15874cdf59d2023-11-23T20:45:37ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292022-01-0112219610.3390/life12020196Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of DepressionElias Elias0Ariel Y. Zhang1Melissa T. Manners2Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, University of the Sciences, 600 South 43rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USAMajor depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders. Monoamine-based antidepressants were the first drugs developed to treat major depressive disorder. More recently, ketamine and other analogues were introduced as fast-acting antidepressants. Unfortunately, currently available therapeutics are inadequate; lack of efficacy, adverse effects, and risks leave patients with limited treatment options. Efforts are now focused on understanding the etiology of depression and identifying novel targets for pharmacological treatment. In this review, we discuss promising novel pharmacological targets for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Targeting receptors including N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, G-protein-coupled receptor 39, metabotropic glutamate receptors, galanin and opioid receptors has potential antidepressant effects. Compounds targeting biological processes: inflammation, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, and gut microbiota have also shown therapeutic potential. Additionally, natural products including plants, herbs, and fatty acids improved depressive symptoms and behaviors. In this review, a brief history of clinically available antidepressants will be provided, with a primary focus on novel pharmaceutical approaches with promising antidepressant effects in preclinical and clinical studies.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/2/196antidepressantnatural productsmajor depressive disorderpharmacological treatmentmental healthmonoamine deficiency |
| spellingShingle | Elias Elias Ariel Y. Zhang Melissa T. Manners Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression Life antidepressant natural products major depressive disorder pharmacological treatment mental health monoamine deficiency |
| title | Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression |
| title_full | Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression |
| title_fullStr | Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression |
| title_short | Novel Pharmacological Approaches to the Treatment of Depression |
| title_sort | novel pharmacological approaches to the treatment of depression |
| topic | antidepressant natural products major depressive disorder pharmacological treatment mental health monoamine deficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/2/196 |
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