Posted by Nickengland on November 18, 2005, at 13:42:11
In reply to Article in NYT RE: Self-Prescribing/Medicating, posted by hawkeye on November 16, 2005, at 9:42:03
Whilst neutral in my stance to the right and left.
This paper swings to the right I believe in the UK.
Depression gene discovered
09:00am 18th November 2005Researchers have hailed the discovery of a new gene linked to depression as a step towards unravelling the mystery of mental illness.
The team behind the breakthrough say it could lead to the development of new drugs to beat the condition, along with schizophrenia and bi polar disorder.
Scientists at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities found that damage to the gene, known as PDE4B, can increase the risk of developing the illnesses.
Though known to play an important role in how the brain thinks and builds memories, it had not been linked to mental disorder.
It's also been connected with another gene, DISC1, previously found to increase the chances of developing the conditions.
Professor David Porteous at the University of Edinburgh said: "This is another important breakthrough in our still limited understanding of major mental illness.
"It is the result of a long term research commitment to use the tools of genetics to better understand the root causes of mental disorder.
"The new genetic link we have made to PDE4B and how that links back to DISC1 sheds much needed light on these debilitating disorders.
"It also suggests a new way of thinking about developing better and effective medicines."
The discovery was made by researchers working with scientists from the pharmaceutical firm Merck Sharpe and Dohme.
The company's Peter Hutson said: "Mental illness remains a scourge of society.
"Our insights into the important role that the proteins PDE4B and DISC1 may play in the mis-function of the brain that leads to schizophrenia and will lead our thinking in the development of new treatments for this disorder."
Professor Miles Houslay, of the University of Glasgow, who also worked on the study, said: "Over the past few years we've been working hard to help in the development of medicines for treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by inhibiting very similar enzymes to PDE4B.
"It has been so exciting to work together with the Edinburgh and Merck groups in finding this new link between the gene coding for PDE4B and schizophrenia.
"This new research has the potential for developing novel ways of diagnosing and treating this debilitating disease."
poster:Nickengland
thread:579280
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051112/msgs/580067.html