Depression paths of least resistance

A pair of reports from U.S. and European researchers point to new targets in depression that could offer treatment alternatives to patients who are resistant or unresponsive to marketed antidepressants.^1,2 One of the new targets, the protein P11, is already in the preclinical pipelinesof Neurologix Inc. and Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc. for therapeutic and diagnostic applications, respectively.

Depression can be caused by low synaptic levels of serotonin in certain regions of the brain. Marketed antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) block neurons from absorbing the neurotransmitter and increase its levels in the synapse...