Serotonin and norepinephrine transporter (SERT and NET (for the individual transporters; no standard abbreviation for both together))

The term "serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor" describes a class of antidepressant drugs that act by inhibiting two key neurotransmitter transporters in the brain—the serotonin transporter (SERT) and the norepinephrine transporter (NET). These transporters are responsible for removing their respective neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft back into presynaptic neurons. By blocking these proteins, SNRIs increase extracellular concentrations of serotonin and norepinephrine, which is believed to alleviate symptoms associated with depression, anxiety disorders, and certain types of chronic pain. The most common drugs acting on these targets include venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine, milnacipran, and levomilnacipran. While effective for many patients with mood disorders or neuropathic pain syndromes, use can be associated with side effects such as gastrointestinal upset or increased blood pressure. The precise mechanism by which elevated monoamine levels improve mood remains incompletely understood but is central to current pharmacological management strategies for major depressive disorder.[1][2][4][7] Note: The original query refers to a drug class rather than an individual molecular target. For structured data purposes regarding therapeutic targets relevant to this drug class, information should be mapped primarily to "serotonin transporter" (SLC6A4/SERT) and "norepinephrine transporter" (SLC6A2/NET).

Other names

SNRI targetserotonin transporter (SERT)norepinephrine transporter (NET)5-HT transporternoradrenaline transporter

Inhibition of serotonin reuptake via SERT blockade and inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake via NET blockade