Peter VANHOUTTE"Modulation and function of dopamine-glutamate receptor heteromerization in preclinical models of addiction and depression"

Multiple psychiatric disorders are linked to an imbalance in dopamine and glutamate synaptic transmission within the reward circuit. From mice to humans, we found that drug addiction and major depression are linked to an increased interaction between dopamine and glutamate receptors. Disrupting theses interactions mitigates addictive-like and depressive-like symptoms in preclinical models, therefore supporting that targeting these receptor heteromers may harbor translational potentials for future therapeutic developments.