The Glutamate Synapse as a Therapeutic Target

This volume provides a comprehensive update on basic glutamate research, from a clinical perspective. Thus, emphasis is placed on how the different molecular players at the glutamate synapse interact to produce a postsynaptic response, how synaptic transmission is perturbed in epilepsy and other pathological conditions, and how glutamate may acquire toxic properties and lead to acute or chronic neurodegeneration. Promising targets for therapeutic strategies are discussed.

A coherent picture is provided of the glutamate synapse and its molecular organization. The book therefore deals with each step in the signal process, from synthesis and vesicular uptake of glutamate to its clearance following receptor activation.

I. Glutamate Release and Transport.
II. Glutamate Synthesis and Translocation to Vesicles.
III. Glutamate Receptors.
IV. Glutamate Toxicity and Cell Death in the Cental Nervous System.
V. Conditions of Perturbed Glutamatergic Transmission.
VI. Perspectives.