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Glutathione: a novel treatment target in psychiatry

Michael Berk1, Felicity Ng, Olivia Dean

  • 1Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Barwon Health, University of Melbourne, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. mikebe@barwonhealth.org.au

Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
|June 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Oxidative stress is implicated in psychiatric disorders. N-acetylcysteine, a glutathione precursor, shows promise as a novel therapeutic target for these conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Oxidation Biology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Accumulating evidence suggests oxidative stress mechanisms are common pathophysiological pathways in diverse psychiatric disorders.
  • The glutathione system is a dominant cellular antioxidant with a strong theoretical foundation for therapeutic intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the multidimensional evidence for oxidative stress in psychiatric disorders.
  • To discuss glutathione as a promising novel therapeutic target.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on oxidative stress and psychiatric disorders.
  • Analysis of clinical studies on N-acetylcysteine efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Oxidative stress is a significant factor in the pathophysiology of various psychiatric conditions.
  • N-acetylcysteine, a glutathione precursor, has demonstrated clinical efficacy in treating psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Glutathione system modulation represents a promising therapeutic strategy for psychiatric disorders.
  • Targeting oxidative stress pathways offers novel treatment avenues in psychiatry.

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