Targeting mGluR2/3 for treatment of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases

Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and plays critical roles in all aspects of neuronal function. Disruption of normal glutamate transmission has been implicated in a variety of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Glutamate exerts its effect through ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). mGluR2 and mGluR3 are members of the Group II mGluR family and their activation leads to the inhibition of glutamate release from presynaptic nerve terminals and is also poised upstream of a myriad of signaling pathways in postsynaptic nerve terminals and neuroglia. Therefore, mGluR2 and mGluR3 have been considered as potential drug targets for the treatment of many neurological conditions and several compounds targeting these receptors have been developed. In this review, we discuss what is currently known regarding the contribution of mGluR2 and mGluR3 to the pathophysiology of some neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases including Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's diseases, schizophrenia and depression as well as drug addiction. We then highlight the evidence supporting the use of various drugs including orthosteric and allosteric ligands acting on either mGluR2, mGluR3 or both for the management of these brain disorders.