The kynurenine pathway as a therapeutic target in cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders

2013/05/03 by Trevor W Stone, Trevor W. Stone, L Gail Darlington +1 · 276 citations
Medicine · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Biochemistry #Biology #Cognition #Kynurenine #Kynurenine pathway #Medicine #Neurochemical #Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior #Neuroscience #Psychology #Stress Responses and Cortisol #Tryptophan #Tryptophan and brain disorders

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/bph.12230

published in British Journal of Pharmacology 169(6), 1211-1227 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2013/05/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

Understanding the neurochemical basis for cognitive function is one of the major goals of neuroscience, with a potential impact on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. In this review, the focus will be on a biochemical pathway that remains under-recognized in its implications for brain function, even though it can be responsible for moderating the activity of two neurotransmitters fundamentally involved in cognition - glutamate and acetylcholine. Since this pathway - the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism - is induced by immunological activation and stress, it also stands in a unique position to mediate the effects of environmental factors on cognition and behaviour. Targeting the pathway for new drug development could, therefore, be of value not only for the treatment of existing psychiatric conditions, but also for preventing the development of cognitive disorders in response to environmental pressures.

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