Research Progress on NMDA Receptor Enhancement Drugs for the Treatment of Depressive Disorder.
CNS drugs December 1, 2024 Ruyun Liu, Ning Liu, Lin Ma et al. 5 citations
Major depressive disorder is a severe mental illness whose current medications often work slowly and cause side effects. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a type of glutamate-gated ion channel, is linked to depression based on preclinical and clinical research. The NMDAR antagonist ketamine produces rapid and lasting antidepressant effects but has psychotomimetic effects and addiction potential that limit its use. Over the past decade, evidence suggests that enhancing NMDAR function, particularly through positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), may offer antidepressant benefits with improved safety. This narrative review presents that approach as a potential novel strategy for treating depression.