Depression, blood markers of antidepressant response are confirmed

Researchers led by Mark Rasenick, a well-known professor of physiology and biophysics and psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, published a new proof-of-concept study that discovered a biomarker in human platelets that can be used to track the degree of depression

This study builds on the previous studies of several researchers.

"When you are depressed, adenylate cyclase is very low

The new study "A new peripheral biomarker of depression and antidepressant response" published in "Molecular Psychiatry" has identified a cellular biomarker for lipid raft Gsα translocation

In other words, depression may be recognized through blood tests in the future

Rasenick said: "What we have developed is a test that not only can indicate the presence of depression, but also a single biomarker that indicates treatment response, which has not yet existed

Researchers hypothesize that they will be able to use this blood test to determine whether antidepressant treatment is effective, possibly as early as a week after starting treatment

A blood test may be able to show whether Gsα has detached from the lipid raft after a week

Rasenick said: "Because the platelets will change within a week, you will see the patient's condition will get better

Currently, patients and their doctors must wait weeks, sometimes months, to determine whether antidepressants are effective, and when they are determined to be ineffective, they will try different therapies

Rasenick said: "About 30% of people are not getting better-their depression is not alleviated

Rasenick collaborated with his company Pax Neuroscience to develop screening tests after further research

Steven D.