14 DAY TRIAL // If specialists with the McGill University and the Douglas Institute in Canada are right, it might be that something as simple as a tiny molecule could prove a worthy ally when it comes to treating depression.
In a recent paper in the journal Nature Medicine, these scientists explain that, according to their investigations, this molecule is present in fairly low concentrations in the brain of people diagnosed with depression.
The molecule is described by the scientific community as a microRNA, whose official name is miR-1202, and previous investigations have shown that it can only be found in the brain of humans and other primates.
Information obtained while studying the brain of depressed individuals revealed that, when undergoing treatment, these people experienced an increase in their levels of said molecule, the specialists behind this research project explain.
This indicates that miR-1202 can not only serve as a marker for this medical condition but also help assess the efficiency of existing depression treatments, maybe even develop new, better ones, EurekAlert informs.
“In our clinical trials with living depressed individuals treated with citalopram, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, we found lower levels in depressed individuals compared to the non-depressed individuals before treatment.”
“Clearly, microRNA miR-1202 increased as the treatment worked and individuals no longer felt depressed,” Dr. Gustavo Turecki comments on the importance of this discovery during an interview with the press.
For the time being, depression is a rather common condition, and studies have shown that, too often, it can prove debilitating. Despite the fact that the scientific community has made significant progress in terms of developing treatment options, there is plenty of work left to be done.
Thus, it often happens that figuring out which medication and in which doses a patient should be given turns out to be a bit of a hassle. Dr. Gustavo Turecki and his colleagues at McGill University and the Douglas Institute expect that their discovery will help solve this problem.
“Although antidepressants are clearly effective, there is variability in how individuals respond to antidepressant treatment,” Dr. Gustavo Turecki explains in a recent statement.
“We found that miR-1202 is different in individuals with depression and particularly, among those patients who eventually will respond to antidepressant treatment,” the Douglas Institute Psychiatrist goes on to argue.
For the time being, specialists cannot say how miR-1202 works in the brain and interacts with feelings of depression. What they do know is that this molecule regulates the activity of an important receptor of the neurotransmitter glutamate.