Research sheds new light on the biological roots of depression

Researchers at McGill University and the Douglas Institute have identified two specific types of brain cells that change in people with depression.

The study, published in Natural geneticIt opens the door to the development of new therapies aimed at these cells and deepen our understanding of depression, a leading cause of disability worldwide that affects over 264 million people.

This is the first time we have been able to determine which specific types of brain cells are affected by depression by mapping of gene activity along with mechanisms that regulate the DNA code. It gives us a much clearer picture of where disturbances occur and what cells are involved. ”

Dr. Gustavo Turecki, a senior writer, professor at McGill, a clinical scientist at the Douglas Institute and the president of Canada in significant depressive disorder and suicide

Rare Brain Bank allows discovery

Researchers used posthumously Brain Brain Bank Douglas-Bell Canada, one of the few collections in the world with tissue donation from people who had psychiatric conditions.

They used a cell genomic techniques to analyze RNA and DNA from thousands of brain cells, identifying which cells were functioning differently in depression and which DNA sequences could explain these differences. They studied samples of 59 people who had depression and 41 people without it.

The results have revealed the altered gene activity in a particular type of stimulant neuron involved in the mood and regulation of stress and in a microgly cell hypothesis, which help manage inflammation. In both cell types, many genes worked differently in people with depression, indicating possible disorders in these basic brain systems.

By identifying brain cells affected by depression, the study adds new knowledge to its biological basis and, more broadly, challenges for misconceptions about the disorder.

“This research strengthens what neuroscience has been telling us for years,” Turecki said. “Depression is not only emotional. It reflects real, measurable changes in the brain.”

As the next step, researchers plan to study how these cellular changes affect brain function and if their targeting could lead to better treatments.

For the study

“Chromatin accessibility profile with a nucleo identifies cellular types and functional variations that contribute to great depression” by Anjali Chawla and Gustavo Turecki et al., Published in Genetics nature.

The study was funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the Brain Canada Foundation, the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé and a healthy brain, a healthy life initiative at McGill University.