Novel gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulators brexanolone and zuranolone:advances in postpartum depression treatment
DENG Ya-ting
DAI Yue-chi
ZHAO Yan
CHANG Jun
CHE Yan-yan
DUAN Zi-yun
Abstract：The rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of brexanolone and zuranolone represent a breakthrough in the treatment of postpartum depression(PPD)fueling in-depth research into the antidepressant mechanisms of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor(GABAAR)modulators.This article systematically reviews 14 clinical trials,and evaluates the clinical advantages and potential limitations of brexanolone and zuranolone though post-hoc analysis,providing valuable insights for clinical application.Additionally,based on recent mechanistic studies of brexanolone and its analogs,three hypotheses are proposed to explain their rapid and lasting antidepressant effects:the neuroendocrine hypothesis,neural oscillation hypothesis,and neurotrophic factor hypothesis,offering novel directions for development of drugs for PPD.
Keywords：brexanolonezuranolonepostpartum depressiongamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor
Publication Date：2026-05-15
Online Publishing Date：2026-08-14(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 951-959 )