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Novel mechanisms underlying rapid-acting antidepressants: ketamine-like compounds, neurosteroid GABAkines, and
Sara Castanheira1, Catarina Vale Gomes2, Joana Bicker2
1Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Abstract:
The discovery of the rapid antidepressant action of ketamine accelerated the identification of new molecules that are associated with fast and prolonged relief of depressive symptoms. As a result, a new group of antidepressants have emerged, some of them already approved for clinical use, classified as rapid-acting antidepressant drugs (RAADs). Potentiation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or activation of the GABAA receptors are the main mechanisms behind the notable properties of RAADs, a mainstream topic in the field of pharmacology and drug discovery that deserves an updated review.
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