Glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) is a novel therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease

Glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1), expressed predominantly in astrocytes, is responsible for the glycine reuptake from the synaptic cleft in the central nervous system. Since glycine exerts dual effects on inhibitory neurotransmission and excitatory neuromodulation as a co‐activator of NMDA receptor, rapid clearance of glycine in a submicromolar range through GlyT1 is important to terminate neuronal signaling. Also, as glycine uptake by GlyT1 is coupled to 2 Na+ and 1 Cl−, the accumulation of glycine in the brain could be toxic due to dysregulation of glycine‐induced metabotropic signaling pathways. Previous reports show that glycine concentration is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It could alter glial function which is important for neuroprotection through Aβ phagocytosis.