Scoperta una proteina che potrebbe essere la chiave per un nuovo trattamento contro la depressione, altamente mirato e con pochi effetti collaterali.
Neuroscientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto found that the coupling between two dopamine receptors and 'significantly more' high in the brains of people who had been diagnosed as more 'severe depression. "We have identified a potential therapeutic target for the development of novel anti-depressants," said Dr. Fang Liu, Principal Investigator and Senior Scientist in CAMH and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University 'of Toronto. Working on this discovery, researchers have searched for ways to disrupt this "coupling" between the two receptors in hopes of getting an effect anti-depressant. They began by analyzing a specific signaling mechanism of dopamine, the combination of D1 and D2 receptors, to identify sites that bind the two receptors together.
With this information, you were able to generate a protein that can break the bond of the two receptors.
protein and 'was then tested in animal models to compare the effects with the current anti-depressant drugs. "After administering the peptide, we have seen a marked improvement in depressive behavior. The improvement observed in the group and peptide 'was equivalent to the improvement with traditional anti-depressants. "This new protein is a completely new approach to treating depression, treatment to date is based primarily on drugs that block the serotonin transporter or norepinephrine.
These conventional antidepressant drugs do not work for all patients, and can cause various side effects.
"We are confident that our research will lead 'to new treatment options that may reduce side effects for patients with depression "said Dr. Liu.
SOURCE: agi.it
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