EiF4E and Depression

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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