Novel mechanisms underlying rapid-acting antidepressants: ketamine-like compounds, neurosteroid GABAkines, and psychedelics.

Ketamine's rapid antidepressant effects spurred the development of a new class of medications called rapid-acting antidepressant drugs (RAADs), some already approved for clinical use. These drugs work primarily by boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or activating GABAA receptors, mechanisms that produce fast and lasting relief from depressive symptoms. This review covers the latest developments in this area of pharmacology and drug discovery.

Study at a glance

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.