A review of the preclinical and clinical evidence for protein kinase C as a target for drug development for bipolar disorder

Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2008 Dec;10(6):510-9. doi: 10.1007/s11920-008-0081-7.

Abstract

In this article, we review preclinical studies investigating the role of protein kinase C (PKC) as it pertains to mania and effective antimanic agents. We then discuss clinical studies conducted with tamoxifen, a relatively selective PKC inhibitor, in acute bipolar mania. We conclude that PKC is an important target-arguably the first mechanistically distinct drug target for bipolar disorder. PKC holds considerable promise as a novel target for developing a new line of treatments for bipolar disorder.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antimanic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bipolar Disorder / drug therapy*
  • Bipolar Disorder / enzymology
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Drugs, Investigational / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lithium Carbonate / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Protein Kinase C / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use
  • Valproic Acid / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antimanic Agents
  • Drugs, Investigational
  • Tamoxifen
  • Lithium Carbonate
  • Valproic Acid
  • Protein Kinase C