ABSTRACT
New targets for antipsychotic drug development may follow from several lines of inquiry. These include efforts to understand mechanisms of action of currently available drugs with the aim of capitalizing upon potentially beneficial characteristics-in particular using clozapine as a model. A second approach augments current treatments based upon theoretical or empirical leads. In another approach, animal models of schizophrenia are developed and drugs identified which ameliorate aberrant behaviors. Finally, it is hoped that genetic studies will link schizophrenia to polymorphic alleles that regulate proteins amenable to pharmacological intervention, although this goal has not yet been realized.
