Could chemicals in the brain cause depression by affecting which genes are involved in different brain processes?
We know the brain circuits that carry serotonin – a chemical that helps send messages between different parts of the brain – play a big part in causing and treating depression. But we don’t know exactly how – and this lack of knowledge is holding us back.
So Dr Ian Maze and his team are considering whether serotonin alters the way the brain works through an ‘epigenetic’ process – essentially causing cells to switch different genes in the brain on and off.
They’re looking at:
Ian’s investigation has the potential to be a genuine game-changer. If we answer the long-standing question of exactly how serotonin influences depression, we move closer to developing new, more targeted treatments with fewer side effects and more consistent results.
Dr Ian Maze works at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He’s a neurobiologist who specialises in investigating adult cognitive and psychiatric disorders.
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