Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have identified a protein that appears to be the target of both antidepressant and electroconvulsive therapy. These treatments are thought to relieve depression by activating stem cells in the brain to grow and mature into new neurons.
The initial studies involved using electroconvulsive therapy in mice and observing consequent gene activity. Specifically, the protein sFRP3 was found to be reduced following antidepressant therapy. This protein is an inhibitor of growth factors that allow stem cells to proliferate.
Follow up studies were performed on human subjects, and found that different genetic variations of the sFRP3 gene resulted in enhanced or reduced success following antidepressant therapy.
Interestingly, sFRP3 was also found to be regulated by other conditions, including exercise.
This new discovery has important implications on developing and fine tuning personalized antidepressant therapies, as it has the potential to predict individual people’s responses to medications through genetic testing. Furthermore, sFRP3 provides a new substrate to act as a target for novel antidepressant therapies.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130207131342.htm
