HEALTH

Depression: new study reveals the biological causes

A new study explored the biological causes of depression.

According to the World Health Organisation, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide; however, it was unclear until now what the underlying biological cause was.

This new study, published on Science.org, has uncovered new information that may provide greater insight into the causes of depression and could lead to new treatments for this disease.

The photo gallery provides an in-depth look at the results of the study and a full understanding of the scope of the research. (Source: Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology - Science)

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Depression: new study reveals biological causes
A new study explored the biological causes of depression. According to the World Health Organisation, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide; however, it was unclear until now what the underlying biological cause was. This new study, published in Science.org, has uncovered new information that could provide a greater understanding of the causes of depression and could lead to new treatments for this disease. (Source: Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology - Science)
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The discovery
According to the researchers who conducted the study, the development of some mood disorders such as major depression and anxiety may be the consequence of glycine. Glycine is a common amino acid that sends a "slow down" signal to the brain.
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Glycine
Glycine is supplied in dietary supplement form with the aim of improving mood and acting against ageing, but some studies have linked it to prostate cancer growth. In some cases the amino acid sends signals to slow cells down, in other cases to excite them: further research will be needed to understand the proper balance of mGlyR receptors and how brain cells are affected. Nevertheless, glycine could be a new treatment for depression, and scientists are working to develop it.
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Future Perspectives
As reported by neuroscientist Kirill Martemyanov (first author of the research), from the neuroscience department at the Jupiter Institute, this discovery is crucial for the development of new therapies, but he warns that it will still take time before they can be tested on humans. To date, in fact, experiments have only been carried out on mice.
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Conclusion
Understanding the biological causes of depression may help develop new drugs to treat mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.
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