Researchers review progress of treating glutamate signalling in depression
Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and other institutions reviewed progress made in using ketamine and other therapies to treat depression. While they found that glutamate modulating agents including ketamine may represent the first major advance in treating MDD in decades, fundamental questions remain regarding safety, tolerability, and efficacy. The review will be published online, March 17, in Nature Reviews/Drug Discovery . Neurotransmitters, including glutamate, are substances that conduct signals from one nerve cell to another. Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter that promotes the flow of signals between nerve cells. Mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia stem in part from an inability of the central nervous system to effectively use glutamate. Experimental drugs that block glutamate receptors in the central nervous system or lower glutamate brain levels may represent the next generation of antidepr...