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Drugs that target ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors

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Cognitive Enhancing Drugs

Part of the book series: Milestones in Drug Therapy MDT ((MDT))

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Abstract

The idea of glutamate as a neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS emerged around the middle of the 20th century [1 – 3], and over the following years it became evident that multiple receptor subtypes were responsible for the physiological properties of glutamatergic neurotransmission [4]. Thanks to the combined efforts of physiology, molecular biology and pharmacology we gained a complex picture of the various types and flavours of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Today we possess the biological and chemical tools to characterize glutamate receptor function from the molecular level to the situation in vivo. Based on this knowledge, the clinical use of advanced glutamate receptor modulators for the treatment of e.g., cognition deficits comes into view. In this chapter I will focus on the two main subtypes of ionotropic glutamate receptors, namely those activated by the specific agonists AMPA and NMDA, and the pharmacological intervention which should improve cognition in man. For details about receptor subtype classification and structure the reader is referred to recent reviews (e.g., [5]).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department CNS Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH&Co KG, Birkendorfer Strasse, D-88400, Biberach, Germany

    Thomas Weiser

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  1. Thomas Weiser
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Georgia, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Alzheimer’s Research Center, 1120 - 15th Street, Augusta, GA, 30912-2300, USA

    Jerry J. Buccafusco

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Weiser, T. (2004). Drugs that target ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors. In: Buccafusco, J.J. (eds) Cognitive Enhancing Drugs. Milestones in Drug Therapy MDT. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7867-8_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7867-8_7

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser, Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-9603-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-7867-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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