WIKIMEDIA, RYAN
A commonly prescribed antidepressant exerts epigenetic effects that may provide a useful biomarker of whether the drug works in patients. A team led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Germany identified a molecular pathway that results in altered DNA methylation in the presence of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine. In an in vitro study published this week (November 24) in Science Signaling, the team presented a link between molecular stress signals and epigenetic activity, both of which have been previously implicated in depressive disorders.
“The authors identified one interesting mechanism of the effects of an antidepressant and really defined this pathway biochemically in an impressive way,” said Ted Abel, director of the Training Program in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience at ...
