Yale University scientists have discovered a gene that plays an important role in the development of depression. This finding has important implications for providing new thinking in the preparation of depression inhibitors.
Illustration. (Internet source)
In the United States, about 16% of people suffer from depression. This disease not only seriously affects the life and work of patients, but also brings a great burden to families and society.
Until now, scientists have spent a lot of effort and money to find effective treatments for this disease, but the results are not very optimistic.
Symptoms of depression are very different in different subjects. Many patients appear symptoms of melancholy , reduced excitement , pessimism , slow thinking , lack of motivation and confidence , insomnia .
In the short term, the most common treatment for this disease is the use of serotonin neurotransmitters. However, studies have found differences in patients' reactions to using this drug.
More than 40% of patients were not sensitive to this drug and had to use it for weeks, even months to get results.
In the study, the scientists compared genes of 21 patients who were depressed with genes of 18 normal people. The findings in the brain of depressed people with MKP-1 gene appear abnormal. Thus, scientists judged that the signaling pathway involved in the MKP-1 gene has a relationship with depression and other neurological disorders.
After that, scientists conducted experiments on mice to verify. When the MKP-1 gene is inhibited, laboratory mice can restore activity to pressure.
When the MKP-1 gene is activated, the mice will show a similar reaction to the symptoms of depression.