Finding genes associated with mental illness may lead to finding new drugs.
Helen R. Pilcher, Nature (translation: Dikla Oren)
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A large-scale project to investigate the genetic basis of depression was launched this week at the Human Genome meeting in Berlin, Germany. The goal of the international project is to help develop new antidepressant drugs.
"Antidepressants haven't really changed in the last thirty years," says the head of the project, Bill Deakin from the University of Manchester in the UK. "We must find new molecules involved in depression, so that new treatments can be developed."
Most anti-depressants increase the level of the chemical serotonin in the brain, which helps nerve cells transmit mood messages. The problem is that it takes time for the treatment to have an effect, and even then it only achieves results on about half of the patients.
The research, called "NEWMOOD", should yield new targets for treatment, help diagnose those suffering from depression and increase the level of understanding of the causes of depression. Achieving these goals may help the XNUMX million people worldwide who suffer from depression.
The research will look for genes that affect depression in mouse and rat models as well as in humans.
Rodents become depressed when they are deprived for a period of time similar to humans, Deakin says. Depressed animals lose their sense of pleasure. When they are given a choice between sugared water and plain water, they show no preference for the sweet water. They also tend to give up more easily, for example they stop fighting faster when they are lifted by the tail.
Researchers will build a microchip, on which there are eight hundred genes, which may be related to depression, including genes that affect metabolism, growth and cellular communication. The chip will reveal which genes are active in healthy and depressed animals and humans.
"We have no idea what these molecules will be like," says Deakin, "but we expect to find many genes." Researchers will test the effect of genes associated with depression that will be discovered, by changing their activity in genetically engineered mice.
The research may lead to improved animal models of depression, which will help test new treatments.
It is believed that depression has both genetic and environmental factors. Continuous stressful situations, such as prolonged illness or bereavement, may trigger depression among those who are sensitive to the situation. Counseling and psychological treatment alongside drug treatments are the accepted treatments.
NEWMOOD has funding of 7.3 million euros from the European Union. The research will be conducted in thirteen laboratories, spread over ten countries, in the next five years.
Link to the article in Nature
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