AUTHOR=Budgett Rebecca F. , Bakker Geor , Sergeev Eugenia , Bennett Kirstie A. , Bradley Sophie J. 

TITLE=Targeting the Type 5 Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor: A Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Neurodegenerative Diseases?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.893422

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.893422

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>The type 5 metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGlu<sub>5</sub>, has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of several neurodegenerative diseases. In preclinical neurodegenerative disease models, novel allosteric modulators have been shown to improve cognitive performance and reduce disease-related pathology. A common pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases is a chronic neuroinflammatory response, involving glial cells such as astrocytes and microglia. Since mGlu<sub>5</sub> is expressed in astrocytes, targeting this receptor could provide a potential mechanism by which neuroinflammatory processes in neurodegenerative disease may be modulated. This review will discuss current evidence that highlights the potential of mGlu<sub>5</sub> allosteric modulators to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Furthermore, this review will explore the role of mGlu<sub>5</sub> in neuroinflammatory responses, and the potential for this G protein-coupled receptor to modulate neuroinflammation.</p>