The role of neurotrophic factors in novel, rapid psychiatric treatments.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology – January 01, 2024
Source: PubMed
Summary
Neurotrophic factors play a crucial role in brain health, influencing cellular growth and survival. Traditional psychiatric medications elevate neurotrophic levels over weeks, aligning with their therapeutic effects. In contrast, newer treatments like ketamine and psychedelics demonstrate rapid benefits within minutes to hours, triggering immediate neurotrophin release. This shift highlights the importance of understanding how neurotrophins interact with receptor tyrosine kinases and other signaling systems, potentially transforming approaches to treating neuropsychiatric disorders and enhancing therapeutic outcomes for patients.
Abstract
Neurotrophic factors are a family of growth factors that modulate cellular growth, survival, and differentiation. For many decades, it has been generally believed that a lack of neurotrophic support led to the decreased neuronal synaptic plasticity, death, and loss of non-neuronal supportive cells seen in neuropsychiatric disorders. Traditional psychiatric medications that lead to immediate increases in neurotransmitter levels at the synapse have been shown also to elevate synaptic neurotrophic levels over weeks, correlating with the time course of the therapeutic effects of these drugs. Recent advances in psychiatric treatments, such as ketamine and psychedelics, have shown a much faster onset of therapeutic effects (within minutes to hours). They have also been shown to lead to a rapid release of neurotrophins into the synapse. This has spurred a significant shift in understanding the role of neurotrophins and how the receptor tyrosine kinases that bind neurotrophins may work in concert with other signaling systems. In this review, this renewed understanding of synaptic receptor signaling interactions and the clinical implications of this mechanistic insight will be discussed within the larger context of the well-established roles of neurotrophic factors in psychiatric disorders and treatments.