Anti-depressants create new brain cells

Scientists from Kings College, London believe that they have discovered the process behind how anti-depressants work meaning that researchers can now develop better and more efficient drugs to combat depressionFeelings of sadness, hopelessness and a loss of interest in life, combined with a sense of reduced emotional well-being. Earlier studies have shown that depressed people show a reduction in the development of new brain cells, which can contribute to the symptoms of depression, low mood or impaired memory. It was also known that anti-depressants facilitate the production of new brain cells, but scientists did not know how. This new study has revealed that anti-depressants regulate a key proteinCompounds that form the structure of muscles and other tissues in the body, as well as comprising enzymes and hormones. involved in the stressRelating to injury or concern. response.

The lead author of the study Christoph Anacker said: 'For the first time in a clinically relevant model, we were able to show that anti-depressants produce more stem cellsCells with the ability to specialise into various forms. and also accelerate their development into adult brain cells. Additionally, we demonstrated for the first time that stress hormones, which are generally very high in depressed patients, show the opposite effect.

Following on from this study it is hoped that researchers will be able to use the novel stem cell system to model psychiatric illnesses in the laboratory, test new components, and develop more effective and targeted anti-depressant drugs in the future. This is important as depression is expected to be the second leading burden of disease worldwide by 2020.