A
recent study about changes in the brain linked to depression paved the way for
new therapies. Moreover, the study also revealed why a certain antidepressant drugs
stop working in some people.
Scientists
from the University of Edinburgh studied mice that were bred to have defects in
their ability to activate a certain molecule, called eIF4E. And it turned out
that those animals showed signs of depression, reduced levels of hormone serotonin
and also disinterest in food.
Treatment with a commonly prescribed
antidepressant called fluoxetine failed to produce a response in the mice. This
suggests that activation of eIF4E is required for the beneficial antidepressant
effects of fluoxetine, which belongs to a category of medicines called
selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). (sciencedaily.com)
This,
however, could help explain why some patients stop responding to SSRIS. Previous
studies have shown the effect of eIF4E in regulating protein synthesis in
the brain. And the defects of eIF4E are also linked to other
neurological conditions. But it is the first time it has been found to be
connected with depression.
Those
findings, according to the scientists, could help develop novel therapy for
depression, which are affecting increasing numbers of people worldwide.
Dr
Christos Gkogkas, a Chancellor's Fellow in the University of Edinburgh's Center
for Discovery Brain Sciences, stated: “Our investigation uncovers that changed
protein synthesis through eIF4E is a key cellular process in the brain that can
go amiss in depression. Imperatively it might clarify why a few people with depression
wind up resistant to treatment with SSRIs. This information can enable us to
plan another generation of antidepressants.”
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