TY - JOUR
T1 - Boosting serotonin in the brain
T2 - Is it time to revamp the treatment of depression?
AU - Torrente, Mariana P.
AU - Gelenberg, Alan J.
AU - Vrana, Kent E.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (grant numbers GM38931-18 and AA016613-03) to KEV. MPT also gratefully acknowledges funding from a National Institutes of Health F32 NRSA postdoctoral fellowship (grant number 5F32MH094071).
PY - 2012/5
Y1 - 2012/5
N2 - Abnormalities in serotonin systems are presumably linked to various psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and depression. Medications intended for these disorders aim to either block the reuptake or the degradation of this neurotransmitter. In an alternative approach, efforts have been made to enhance serotonin levels through dietary manipulation of precursor levels with modest clinical success. In the last 30 years, there has been little improvement in the pharmaceutical management of depression, and now is the time to revisit therapeutic strategies for the treatment of this disease. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of serotonin. A recently discovered isoform, TPH2, is responsible for serotonin biosynthesis in the brain. Learning how to activate this enzyme (and its polymorphic versions) may lead to a new, more selective generation of antidepressants, able to regulate the levels of serotonin in the brain with fewer side effects.
AB - Abnormalities in serotonin systems are presumably linked to various psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and depression. Medications intended for these disorders aim to either block the reuptake or the degradation of this neurotransmitter. In an alternative approach, efforts have been made to enhance serotonin levels through dietary manipulation of precursor levels with modest clinical success. In the last 30 years, there has been little improvement in the pharmaceutical management of depression, and now is the time to revisit therapeutic strategies for the treatment of this disease. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of serotonin. A recently discovered isoform, TPH2, is responsible for serotonin biosynthesis in the brain. Learning how to activate this enzyme (and its polymorphic versions) may lead to a new, more selective generation of antidepressants, able to regulate the levels of serotonin in the brain with fewer side effects.
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U2 - 10.1177/0269881111430744
DO - 10.1177/0269881111430744
M3 - Review article
C2 - 22158544
AN - SCOPUS:84861792389
SN - 0269-8811
VL - 26
SP - 629
EP - 635
JO - Journal of Psychopharmacology
JF - Journal of Psychopharmacology
IS - 5
ER -
