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New Perspective on mTOR Pathways: A New Target of Depression

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Understanding Depression

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Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe psychiatric condition that affects a large number of individuals worldwide. The understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder is still not well elucidated, and considering that acute availability of monoamines in the synapses does not provide an equally acute response, and a large number of patients do not respond satisfactorily, new research has emerged in the search for markers and biological mechanisms underlying MDD. Clinical and experimental studies have been suggesting that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is compromised in pathophysiology of MDD. In addition, this pathway is required for the rapid antidepressant action of ketamine, an antagonist of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Thus, this chapter will highlight clinical and experimental evidences of the role of mTOR signaling pathway in the pathophysiology and treatment of MDD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Neurociências, Unidade Acadêmica em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, SC, Brazil

    Gislaine Z. Réus, Zuleide M. Ignácio, Helena M. Abelaira & João Quevedo

  2. Laboratório de Fisiologia, Farmacologia e Psicopatologia, Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul, Chapecó, SC, Brazil

    Zuleide M. Ignácio

  3. Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    João Quevedo

  4. Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    João Quevedo

  5. Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA

    João Quevedo

Authors
  1. Gislaine Z. Réus
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  2. Zuleide M. Ignácio
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  3. Helena M. Abelaira
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  4. João Quevedo
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Correspondence to Gislaine Z. Réus .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, Korea University, Kyonggi-do, Korea (Republic of)

    Yong-Ku Kim

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Réus, G.Z., Ignácio, Z.M., Abelaira, H.M., Quevedo, J. (2018). New Perspective on mTOR Pathways: A New Target of Depression. In: Kim, YK. (eds) Understanding Depression . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6580-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6580-4_8

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