METABOTROPIC GLUTAMATE RECEPTORS - A NEW TARGET FOR THE THERAPY OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDERS

Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are a large, heterogeneous fam ily of G-protein coupled receptors, which modulate excitatory synaptic transmission through various transduction pathways. Evidence is now a ccumulating that individual mGlu-receptor subtypes mediate distinct, f acilitatory (group I subtypes) or inhibitory (group II and group III s ubtypes), actions on neurodegenerative processes. Drugs interacting wi th mGlu receptors are expected to influence both the induction and pro gression of neuronal degeneration without hampering the efficiency of fast excitatory synaptic transmission. For these reasons, mGlu recepto rs can be considered as promising drug targets in the experimental the rapy of acute or chronic neurodegenerative diseases.