Stress study offers clues for new antidepressant drugs

[bananas]

Source: Reuters

Scientists have worked out the way in which stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells - a process linked to depression - and say their work should help researchers develop more effective antidepressants.

The scientists identified a protein largely responsible for the long-term detrimental effect of stress on cells.

They also successfully used an experimental drug compound to block this effect, pointing to a possible way of developing new antidepressants, the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said.

Major depression affects about 20 percent of people at some time in their lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020, depression will rival heart disease as the health disorder with the highest global disease burden.

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But while there are many antidepressants on the market, including top sellers such as Prozac and Seroxat, it is widely accepted that many antidepressants work in only half of patients half of the time, and drugmakers are struggling to come up with a new generation of drugs.

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Read more: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/06/18089680-stress-study-offers-clues-for-new-antidepressant-drugs

[dotymed]

1. Prior to the new TN drug laws,

I have taken valium for years to stop stress and its related effects. TN has made it illegal for your family Dr. to treat your stress in a manner that actually increases your happiness. Now, it's a specialist or allow them to manipulate your serotonin levels. The same for chronic pain, even if that pain contributes to your official disability. My cardiologist said, "now it is just a quality of life issue", the onerous new laws in Tn. makes that unaffordable.