Cited by 1,518Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchAmino Acid Enzymes and MetabolismNeurological Disorders and Treatments

β-Lactam antibiotics offer neuroprotection by increasing glutamate transporter expression

Rothstein, Jeffrey D., Patel, Sarjubhai, Regan, Melissa R., Haenggeli, Christine, Huang, Yanhua H., Bergles, Dwight E., Jin, Lin, Dykes Hoberg, Margaret +7 more·2005·Nature

Abstract

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. Inactivation of synaptic glutamate is handled by the glutamate transporter GLT1 (also known as EAAT2; refs 1, 2), the physiologically dominant astroglial protein. In spite of its critical importance in normal and abnormal synaptic activity, no practical pharmaceutical can positively modulate this protein. Animal studies show that the protein is important for normal excitatory synaptic transmission, while its dysfunction is implicated in acute and chronic neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), stroke, brain tumours and epilepsy. Using a blinded screen of 1,040 FDA-approved drugs and nutritionals, we discovered that many beta-lactam antibiotics are potent stimulators of GLT1 expression. Furthermore, this action appears to be mediated through increased transcription of the GLT1 gene. beta-Lactams and various semi-synthetic derivatives are potent antibiotics that act to inhibit bacterial synthetic pathways. When delivered to animals, the beta-lactam ceftriaxone increased both brain expression of GLT1 and its biochemical and functional activity. Glutamate transporters are important in preventing glutamate neurotoxicity. Ceftriaxone was neuroprotective in vitro when used in models of ischaemic injury and motor neuron degeneration, both based in part on glutamate toxicity. When used in an animal model of the fatal disease ALS, the drug delayed loss of neurons and muscle strength, and increased mouse survival. Thus these studies provide a class of potential neurotherapeutics that act to modulate the expression of glutamate neurotransmitter transporters via gene activation.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nature03180

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Authors
Rothstein, J. D., Patel, S., Regan, M. R., Haenggeli, C., Huang, Y. H., Bergles, D. E., Jin, L., Dykes Hoberg, M., Vidensky, S., Chung, D. S., Toan, S. V., Bruijn, L. I., Su, Z.-Z., Gupta, P., & Fisher, P. B.
Affiliations
  • Johns Hopkins University (US)
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (US)
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Rothstein, Jeffrey D.
Venue
Nature
Published
2005-01
Volume
433
Issue
7021
Pages
73-77
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2083204774
Cited by
1,518
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 49 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 48 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 55 · 2020: 60 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 76 · 2016: 85 · 2015: 84 · 2014: 107 · 2013: 96 · 2012: 98
FWCI
31.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Muscular Dystrophy Association
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Robert Packard Center for ALS Research, Johns Hopkins University
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biochemistry › Amino Acid Enzymes and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disorders and Treatments
Keywords
beta-lactam antibiotics, ceftriaxone, penicillin, GLT-1, glutamate transporters, neuroprotection, glutamate excitotoxicity, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ischemic brain injury, motor neuron degeneration, drug repurposing, transcriptional activation, astrocytes
MeSH terms
Animals, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Ceftriaxone, Cell Count, Cells, Cultured, Central Nervous System, Drug Evaluation, Preclinical, Gene Expression Regulation, Mice, Transgenic, Motor Neurons, Penicillins, Promoter Regions, Genetic, RNA, Messenger, United States, United States Food and Drug Administration, Transcriptional Activation, Genes, Reporter, Neuroprotective Agents, Ischemic Preconditioning, Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2, beta-Lactams, Mice, In Vitro Techniques

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