Translational investigation of a lithium mimetic on emotional and cognitive processing in healthy volunteers

双相情感障碍是一种以反复发作的异常情绪为特征的慢性疾病，影响着世界上约3%的人口。目前治疗双相情感障碍的方法，如锂、丙戊酸和非典型抗精神病药物，如SEROQUEL，会引起严重的副作用，包括肝和肾损害。因此，迫切需要新的治疗方法，使患者的情绪长期稳定，但更容易耐受。在这个项目中，我们建议确认一种已被证明对人类安全的已知抗氧化剂作为锂替代候选药物的适宜性。我们的药物抑制了肌醇单磷酸酶，这是锂的候选治疗靶点，也以类似于锂的方式改变动物的情绪和行为。因此，这种药物如果成功，将首次为医生提供治疗双相情感障碍患者的潜力，而不会使他们暴露在有害的副作用中。

Bipolar disorder disease is a chronic illness characterized by recurrent episodes of aberrant mood that affects around 3% of the world's population. Current therapies for bipolar disorder such as lithium, valproic acid and atypical antipsychotics, such as seroquel, cause serious side effects including liver and kidney damage. There is therefore an urgent need for new therapies that allow long-term mood stabilisation in patients, but are more favourably tolerable. In this project, we propose to confirm the suitability of a known antioxidant that has proven to be safe in humans as a lithium replacement candidate. Our drug inhibits the enzyme inositol monophosphatase, a candidate therapeutic target of lithium and also alters mood and behaviour in animals in a manner similar to lithium. This drug, if successful therefore, would offer for the first time, the potential for physicians to treat bipolar patients without exposing them to harmful side effects.