These Bacteria May Be the Key to Treating Clinical Depression

[JHan]

We like to think of ourselves as individuals.

But scientists estimate that we share our bodies with 38 trillion organisms that play an integral part in keeping us healthy and making us who we are. They crawl across our skin, cling to our intestines, and generally call our bodies home.

Now, a study led by researchers at Northeastern shows that there is a potential link between the bacteria that live in our gut and clinical depression.

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“In the past 10 years there has been significant work that has linked the microbiome to various components of human health and disease,” said Philip Strandwitz, who began this research as a doctoral student in Kim Lewis’ Antimicrobial Discovery Center at Northeastern. “But the general concept of delivering bacteria or manipulating gut bacteria to improve brain health is still new.”

“In the past 10 years there has been significant work that has linked the microbiome to various components of human health and disease,” said Philip Strandwitz, who began this research as a doctoral student in Kim Lewis’ Antimicrobial Discovery Center at Northeastern. “But the general concept of delivering bacteria or manipulating gut bacteria to improve brain health is still new.”

Working with a team researching depression at Weill Cornell Medical College, Strandwitz and Lewis took fecal samples and brain scans from individuals diagnosed with depression. They found that patients with certain brain signatures associated with depression had fewer bacteria belonging to the Bacteroides genus.

Strandwitz and Lewis were looking for Bacteroides species because they had discovered that those bacteria produced an inhibitory neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. GABA interferes with signals sent between nerves, keeping your brain from being over-stimulated and providing a sense of calm. When this system isn’t working properly, people are more prone to anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

“If you have low levels of these GABA-producing bacteria, that is associated with brain signatures of depression. It’s a pretty strong correlation,” said Lewis, who is a University Distinguished Professor of Biology. “That opens up the intriguing possibility of treating depression with GABA-producing bacteria.”

https://neurosciencenews.com/bacteria-clinical-depression-10323/?fbclid=IwAR2fWM95EZfWfdRLXc13qQDl8Nx0rfLWiDAtUxB0SucAMJ-dg55O410Y6AI

[virgogal]

1. Fascinating. I suffer from depression

and have tried three different meds over the last 4 years-------the side effects were worse than the depression.

Thanks for posting this.

[JHan]

2. i've had my battles too, really fascinating how the gut is increasingly seen as a "second brain".

Hopefully, all this research leads to much better, effective treatment.