Oct, 1, 2023

Vol.30 No.2, pp. 84-88


Review

  • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
  • Volume 11(1); 2004
  • Article

Review

Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry 2004;11(1):14-25. Published online: Jan, 1, 2004

Recent Development on Future Antidepressants

  • Yong-Ku Kim, MD, PhD
    Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College off Medicine Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Korea
Abstract

The current understanding of the mechanisms of pharmacotherapy for depression is characterized by an emphasis on increasing synaptic availability of serotonin, noradrenaline, and possibly dopamine, while minimizing side effects. The acute effects of current available effective antidepressants include blocking selective serotonin or noradrenaline reuptake, alpha2 autoreceptors or monoamine oxidase. Although efficacious, current treatments often produce partial or limited symptomatic improvement rather than remission. While current pharmacotherapies target monoaminergic systems, distinct neurobiological underpinnings and other systems are likely involved in the pathogenesis of depression. Recently, several promising hypotheses of depression and antidepressant action have been formulated. These hypotheses are largely based on dsyregulation of neural plasticity, CREB, BDNF, corticotropin-releasing factor, glucocorticoid, hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis and cytokines. Based on these new theories and hypotheses of depression, a number of new and novel agents, including corticotropin-releasing factor antagonists, antiglucocorticoids, and substance P antagonists show a considerable promise for refining treatment options for depression. In this article, the current available pharmacotherapies, current understanding of neurobiology and pathogenesis of depression and new and promising directions in pharmacological research on depression will be discussed. 

Keywords Antidepressant;Neurobiology;Monoamine;Cytokine;Neuropeptide;Depression.