Mechanistics Insights in Antidepressants: Charting New Pathways for Future Research

Dear Colleagues,

Antidepressants have been available since the late 1950s, transforming the treatment of depression. Second-generation antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are considered the cornerstone of treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, their efficacy rate is only of 60-70 % after 2-6 weeks of treatment. Furthermore, some patients are diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, highlighting the need for alternative treatments. Newer antidepressants (e.g., vortioxetine, ketamine, esketamine, gepirone, neurosteroids, and, more recently, psilocybin) bind to specific receptors activating critical signalling pathways associated with neuroplasticity and the rapid modulation of neuronal excitability. Nevertheless, unresolved questions remain about antidepressant mechanisms, particularly with regard to neuroplasticity delays, resistance pathways, and glial contributions. This warrants deeper molecular scrutiny of novel targets. This Special Issue will explore the actions of antidepressants (conventional, new, combinations, etc.) associated with rapid and sustained relief. We welcome studies addressing time-dependent events at molecular, cellular, structural and behavioural levels.

Dr. Lucía Martínez-Mota
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.