Promising biological targets for the design of multitarget neuromodulatory agents

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including depression and cognitive impairment, are characterized by complex multifactorial pathophysiology involving dysregulation of multiple neurotransmitter systems, impaired neuroplasticity, and neuroinflammatory processes. Traditional pharmacotherapy targeting a single biological target often demonstrates limited therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, increasing attention has been paid to the concept of multitargetdirected ligands (MTDLs), which involves the design of compounds capable of modulating several key biological targets within the central nervous system simultaneously [1].