Magic shotguns versus magic bullets: selectively non-selective drugs for mood disorders and schizophrenia

Most common central nervous system disorders-such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia-seem to be polygenic in origin, and the most effective medications have exceedingly complex pharmacologies. Attempts to develop more effective treatments for diseases such as schizophrenia and depression by discovering drugs selective for single molecular targets (that is, 'magic bullets') have, not surprisingly, been largely unsuccessful. Here we propose that designing selectively non-selective drugs (that is, 'magic shotguns') that interact with several molecular targets will lead to new and more effective medications for a variety of central nervous system disorders.