Mao, Jianren2012-02-192005Mao, Jianren. 2005. Glutamate transporter: An unexpected target for some antibiotics. Molecular Pain 1: 5.1744-8069http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:8191179Glutamate transporter (GT) plays a major role in the mechanisms of glutamate homeostasis. Can this transporter system be a therapeutic target for glutamate-mediated neurological disorders? In January's edition of Nature, Rothstein et al (2005) reports that the most commonly used class of antibiotics (β-lactam antibiotics) such as ceftriaxone promoted the expression of GLT1 and demonstrated a functional role in both in vitro and in vivo models of glutamate neurotocixity. These findings indicate that positive promoters of GT expression may have a unique role in neuroprotection through regulating GT expression. This is also encouraging in search for new pharmacological tools for pain management.en-USJournal Article2012-02-1910.1186/1744-8069-1-5