Phosphodiesterases in the CNS: targets for drug development.

Abstract

The therapeutic and commercial success of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis has sparked renewed interest in the phosphodiesterases as drug discovery targets. Virtually all the phosphodiesterases are expressed in the CNS, making this gene family a particularly attractive source of new targets for the treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Significantly, all neurons express multiple phosphodiesterases, which differ in cyclic nucleotide specificity, affinity, regulatory control and subcellular compartmentalization. Therefore, phosphodiesterase inhibition represents a mechanism through which it could be possible to precisely modulate neuronal activity. In this article, we review the current state of the art in the burgeoning field of phosphodiesterase pharmacology in the CNS.

• Authors: Frank S Menniti, W Stephen Faraci, Christopher J Schmidt
• Journal: Nature reviews. Drug discovery (Nat Rev Drug Discov) Vol. 5 Issue 8 Pg. 660-70 (Aug 2006) ISSN: 1474-1776 [Print] England
• PMID: 16883304 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
• Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases

Topics

• Animals
• Brain (enzymology)
• Brain Diseases (drug therapy)
• Drug Design
• Humans
• Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases (genetics)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)