Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2025

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
Published on: May 2, 2025
The Purinergic System as a Target for the Development of Treatments for Bipolar Disorder
Maria Carolina Bittencourt Gonçalves1, Roberta Andrejew2, Carolina Gubert3
1Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
The neurobiological and neurochemical mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder are complex and not yet fully understood. From circadian disruption to neuroinflammation, many pathways and signaling molecules are important contributors to bipolar disorder development, some specific to a disease subtype or a cycling episode. Pharmacological agents for bipolar disorder have shown only partial efficacy, including mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. The purinergic hypothesis for bipolar disorder emerges in this scenario as a promising target for further research and drug development, given its role in neurotransmission and neuroinflammation that results in behavioral and mood regulation. Here, we review the basic concepts of purinergic signaling in the central nervous system and its contribution to bipolar disorder pathophysiology. Allopurinol and novel P2X7 receptor antagonists are promising candidates for treating bipolar disorder. We further explore currently available pharmacotherapies and the emerging new purinergic targets for drug development in bipolar disorder.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bipolar Disorder
Mania and Antimanic Drugs: Overview
G-protein Coupled Receptors
G Protein-coupled Receptors
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or serpentine receptors, and consist of seven (H1-H7) transmembrane alpha-helices that span the bilayer to form a cylindrical core. The transmembrane helices are connected by three extracellular loops and three...
Bulimia Nervosa
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

