Metabotropic glutamate receptors as drug targets: what's new?

Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2015 Feb:20:89-94. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2014.12.002. Epub 2014 Dec 12.

Abstract

The question in the title: 'what's new?' has two facets. First, are 'clinical' expectations met with success? Second, is the number of CNS disorders targeted by mGlu drugs still increasing? The answer to the first question is 'no', because development program with promising drugs in the treatment of schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and Fragile X syndrome have been discontinued. Nonetheless, we continue to be optimistic because there is still the concrete hope that some of these drugs are beneficial in targeted subpopulations of patients. The answer to the second question is 'yes', because mGlu ligands are promising targets for 'new' disorders such as type-1 spinocerebellar ataxia and absence epilepsy. In addition, the increasing availability of pharmacological tools may push mGlu7 and mGlu8 receptors into the clinical scenario. After almost 30 years from their discovery, mGlu receptors are still alive.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Central Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology
  • Drug Design*
  • Epilepsy, Absence / drug therapy
  • Epilepsy, Absence / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / drug effects*
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / metabolism
  • Spinocerebellar Ataxias / drug therapy
  • Spinocerebellar Ataxias / physiopathology

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate