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Serotonin may not play major role in
depression, new evidence suggests
FIONA MACDONALD
MONDAY, 01 SEPTEMBER 2014
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New research in mice throws into question the long-standing belief that
serotonin deficiency plays a key role in depression.
Image: Allison Herreid/Shutterstock
A study by scientists in the US has cast doubt on the belief that a deficiency in serotonin, a
chemical messenger in the brain, is a major trigger for depression.
The team from the John D. Dingell VA Medical Centre and Wayne State University School of
Medicine in Michigan developed mice that lacked the ability to produce serotonin in their brains,
and found they did NOT show signs of depression-like symptoms.
The results are published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, and suggest that the majority of
todays antidepressants, which target serotonin, may not be as effective as we had hoped.
According to the World Health Organisation, depression is the leading cause of disability across
the globe, affecting more than 350 million people worldwide. Back in the late 1980s, the
antidepressant Prozac was developed, which works mainly by increasing the amount of
serotonin in the brain. It seemed to be effective, and so other depression treatments that acted
on serotonin began to flood the market. However, scientists know that 60 to 70 percent of
patients taking such drugs continue to feel depressed.
The team, led by Donald Kuhn, decided to investigate whether serotonin was as involved in the
disorder as we expect - if at all.
To do this, they developed knockout mice that didnt have the ability to make serotonin in their
brains. According to the current dogma, these mice should have been depressed. But while the
mice were compulsive and aggressive, they didn't show signs of depression-like symptoms, the
researchers report.
After running a range of behavioural tests, the scientists found that when the knockout mice
were put under stress, they behaved in the same way as most normal mice. Most of them also
responded to antidepressant medications in a similar way to normal mice.
A press release explains: These findings further suggest that serotonin is not a major player
in the condition, and different factors must be involved.
The authors conclude in their paper that this research could dramatically alter the creation of
antidepressants in the future.
If this research is verified, it could turn out to be quite embarrassing - especially when this
seems like it should have been one of the first studies done before the development of
antidepressants. But mostly its great news, as itll give scientists a better indication than ever
before of where we should be targeting antidepressant treatments.
Watch this space.
Source: ACS Chemical Neuroscience
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