The World Health Organization defines depression as a primary contributor to the global burden of disease and predicts it will become the second leading cause of death by 2020. The need to develop effective therapies has never been so pressing. Current antidepressant drugs have several limitations. This book looks at the future of mood-disorder research, covering the identification of new therapeutic targets, establishing new preclinical models, new medicinal chemistry opportunities, and fostering greater understanding of genetic influences. These strategies are likely to help build a better picture of the disease process, and lead to new opportunities for patient stratification and treatment. The ultimate goal for this strand of research is to develop more personalized and effective treatments for this chronic and debilitating condition. This is essential reading for all those involved in psychopharmacologic drug development, and mental health clinicians seeking a preview of discoveries soon to influence their practice. This book looks at the future of mood-disorder research, covering identification of new therapeutic targets, preclinical models, and medicinal chemistry opportunities, and increasing understanding of genetic influences. Essential reading for everyone involved in psychopharmacology development, and mental health clinicians seeking a preview of discoveries soon to influence their practice. Table of Contents Preface Chad E. Beyer; 1. Current depression landscape: a state of the field today Laurence Mignon and Stephen M. Stahl; 2. Novel therapeutic targets for treating affective disorders Eliyahu Dremencov and Thomas Cremers; 3. Developing novel animal models of depression Lotte de Groote, Malgorzata Filip and Andrew C. McCreary; 4. Translational research in mood disorders: using imaging technologies in biomarker research Jul Lea Shamy, Adam M. Brickman, Chris D. Griesemer, Anna Parachikova and Mark Day; 5. Defining depression endophenotypes Lisa H. Berghorst and Diego A. Pizzagalli; 6. Genetic and genomic studies of major depressive disorder Roy H. Perlis; 7. Medicinal chemistry challenges in the design of next generation antidepressants David P. Rotella; 8. Application of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine for the care of depression Keh-Ming Lin, Chun-Yu Chen and Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan; Index.
