An effective antidepressant is close to being developed.

British scientists are developing a new, effective antidepressant by studying how stress hormones reduce the number of new brain cells, a process linked to depressive symptoms.

The results of this study were just published in the May 6th issue of the Procedings journal of the National Academy of Sciences of the United Kingdom.

The image is for illustrative purposes only. (Source: mims.co.uk)

A research team from the Psychiatry Institute at King's College London, England, conducted a study on human hippocampal stem cells (a source of new cells in the human brain). They calculated the impact of the stress-producing cell "cortisol" on neurons and discovered that the protein "SGK1" plays a crucial role in causing effects that impair the brain's new cell generation process.

By measuring the effects of cortisol over time, scientists found that increased levels of the protein SGK1 prolonged the damaging effects of the stress hormone on nerve cells.

The SGK1 protein affects nerve cells, preventing the brain from continuing to produce new brain cells, which can lead to depression.

Having understood the mechanism of action of this harmful protein, the research team tested a new synthetic drug that inhibits SGK1, preventing the negative effects of the stress hormone that increases the production of new brain cells.

According to statistics, approximately 20% of people worldwide experience a severe depressive episode at some point in their lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020, depression will be the leading cause of health disorders and the greatest burden on global healthcare.

According to (VNA) - VT