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Scientists have developed a new method of treating depression
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Currently, almost every tenth person on the planet suffers from some form of depression, so scientists are trying to develop new, more effective and safe ways to treat this disorder. According to them, employees of the Texas Medical Center have managed to make a discovery that could become a real breakthrough in the field of medicine.
A group of researchers led by Dr. Jeffrey Zigman has identified a unique mechanism by which the natural antidepressant hormone affects the brain. The scientists also noted that they have discovered a neuroprotective drug that is significantly different from the drugs currently used to treat depression.
A research group analyzed the hormone ghrelin in rodents (this hormone is also known as the hunger hormone, as it provokes increased appetite). Several years ago, scientists discovered that the properties of ghrelin manifest themselves with an increased level of the hormone in the body due to a long-term stressful state or low-calorie diet. The latest study by specialists has shown that the hormone also leads to the formation of new neurons during neurogenesis in the hippocampus. In their study, a group of specialists tried to establish whether it is possible to increase the antidepressant effect of this hormone using the compound P7C3 discovered several years ago. Previous studies have shown that the compound P7C3 has a neuroprotective effect on patients with Parkinson's, traumatic brain injury and amyotrophic sclerosis. Now specialists have found that this compound helps in the treatment of depressive disorders. In addition, P7C3 increases the effectiveness of ghrelin, namely its neurogenesis properties, which in general has a powerful antidepressant effect. P7C3 has a more active analogue, P7C3-A20, which has a stimulating effect on the production of neurons more effectively than currently existing antidepressant drugs.
In addition, another research project led by Jonathan Shaffer found that vitamin D, which is included in many supplements, does not help with depressive and neurological disorders. Scientists received such data after several trials, in which more than three thousand people took part. During the trials, scientists proved that vitamin D does not have any therapeutic effect in the treatment of depression. As studies showed, clinical depressive disorders did not respond to such treatment, and the reduction in symptoms of depression was almost the same as when taking a placebo. The positive effect of taking supplements containing vitamin D was noted only in those patients who had a deficiency of this vitamin in their body.
Vitamin D is only effective when combined with antidepressants. The benefits of the vitamin for depression need to be studied in more detail, Dr. Shaffer notes.
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