S-2-methylglutamate

S-2-methylglutamate (S-2MeGlu) is a small molecule glutamatergic false neurotransmitter developed by Stanford University. It is designed to modulate excitatory brain signaling by penetrating the blood-brain barrier and acting in an enantiomer-selective manner. S-2-methylglutamate is efficiently transported into the brain and synaptosomes, where it is packaged into synaptic vesicles and released upon membrane depolarization similarly to endogenous L-glutamate, but with reduced postsynaptic receptor activity. This dampens overactive glutamatergic transmission and protects against excitotoxic injury. S-2-methylglutamate is also selectively metabolized by human glutamine synthetase to (S)-2-methylglutamine, which is slowly hydrolyzed back to S-2-methylglutamate by glutaminase. It is under preclinical investigation for the treatment of neurological disorders characterized by excitation-inhibition imbalance, including Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease.

Other names

(S)-2-methylglutamate(S)-2-methylglutamic acidS-2-methylglutamic acidS2-methylglutamic acidS 2-methylglutamic acid