Glycine transporter inhibitors as novel antipsychotics

Modulation of neurotransmission mediated by glutamate is a novel strategy for treating psychiatric disorders, particularly negative symptoms and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. In this review article, the latest developments with glycine transporter-1 (GlyT1), a novel target with the principle of elevating glycine levels to indirectly increase N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-dependent glutamate signalling, is discussed. Further, this target is briefly compared with alternative strategies to modulate NMDA-receptor functioning for treating schizophrenia.

Section editors:David Sibley – National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USAC. Anthony Altar – Psychiatric Genomics, Gaithersburg, USATheresa Branchek – Lundbeck Research, Paramus, USA