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The persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest, less than normal—phrases often used to describe depression. But new research shows, depression can sometimes mean too much of something. This new discovery, about a protein called fibroblast growth factor 9 or FGF9, goes against previous findings that depressed brains often have less of key components than non-depressed brains.
In this case, people with major depression had 32 percent more of FGF9 in a key part of their brain than people without the condition. In rats, raising FGF9 levels artificially led to depression-like behavior changes, and repeated social stress caused brain FGF9 levels to rise. Taken together, the findings provide more evidence that depression is a physical illness. If FGF9 or its effects prove to be a good target for drugs, the finding could eventually help lead to better medications for the mental health condition that affects millions of Americans.Image credit: Elyse L. Aurbach, Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan
