Genes influence response to antidepressants
A new study, published in this month’s American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, suggests that variations in a particular gene might in part explain why some people with depression respond better than others to treatment with the antidepressant citalopram (Celexa).
The gene, known as SLC6A4, codes for a protein involved in the transport of serotonin, a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger found in the brain) that is known to play an important role in the modulation of mood.
Researchers evaluated how genetic variations in SLC6A4 affected response to citalopram treatment in 1,914 people with depression and found that, in a subgroup of white participants, two variations in this gene had a direct bearing on response to citalopram treatment. No associations between these two variations and response to citalopram treatment were found in black or Hispanic patients.
Pharmacogenetics, the study of how a person’s genetics affects their response to medications, could improve outcomes by matching people with mental illness with the most appropriate treatment from the outset. This would be a vast improvement on current prescribing practices in psychiatry, which essentially rely on a process of ‘trial and error’.
“The findings of this study represent another step in advancing individualized medicine for psychiatric patients,” says Dr David Mrazek, the study’s primary author. “Patients want to feel better as quickly as possible so the idea of trying one drug after another until you find one that works can be discouraging. The development of pharmacogenetic testing will help increase the likelihood of selecting an effective drug the first time.”
Reference:
