Inhibiting ALKBH5-mediated demethylation for depression

Inhibiting the RNA m6A demethylase ALKBH5 in astrocytes could help treat depression by increasing expression of the glutamate transporter GLUT1, clearing excess glutamate and protecting glutaminergic synapse transmission in the prefrontal cortex.

In primary blood samples from patients with major depressive disorder, publicly available gene expression data from the prefrontal cortex of depression patients, and in blood and prefrontal cortex samples from stress- or inflammation-induced mouse models of depression, ALKBH5 transcripts were increased compared with samples from healthy controls...