Perspective of D-Neuron (Trace Amine Neuron) Research: From Novel Therapeutic Strategies

Recent pharmacological studies have shown the importance of trace amine-associated receptor, type 1 (TAAR1), a subtype of trace amine receptors, to be a prospective target receptor for novel neuroleptics. Socalled D-neuron (trace amine (TA) neuron) is the ligand neuron of TAAR1. In 1984, Jaeger et al. specified D-neuron groups from D1 (the spinal cord) to D14 (the bed nucleus of stria terminalis) in the rat central nervous system (CNS). Later, the author and her colleagues reported D15 (striatum), D16 (the nucleus accumbens, Acc), D17 (basal forebrain) and D18 (cerebral cortex), rostrally to D14, in human brains by using a PTC (Patent Cooperation Treaty)-patent-requiring method. The forebrain D-neuron system was far developed in the human. We also found lack of D-neurons in D16 (Acc) of post-mortem brains of patients with schizophrenia [1-3].