Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors: Perspective Design for the Treatment of Depression and Neurological Disorders

Monoamine oxidase-A and B have been studied over a long period as one of the promising drug targets for the treatment of depression and neurodegenerative disorders. Commonly, MAO-A is associated with depression because of its relation with the control of serotonin levels. On the other hand, MAO-B has been associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases because this enzyme modulates dopamine levels in the CNS. The major objective of the research in this field is devoted to identify and isolate selective ligands of MAO-A/MAO-B so that the undesirable side effects due to non-selective inhibition of monoamine catabolism by the isoforms can be avoided. This review will give an overview of the inhibition mechanism of MOA and its biochemistry, along with the history and development of MAO inhibitors including the significance of molecular modeling studies for the identification of novel class of MAO inhibitors.