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Depression: Molecular Pathology and Modern Therapy

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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2024) | Viewed by 10249

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Albert Pinhasov

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Guest Editor

Department of Molecular Biology, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 4070000, Israel
Interests: depression; stress-vulnerability; influence of personality on stress response; microbiome influence on social behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

You are cordially invited to contribute to a Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences entitled “Depression: Molecular Pathology and Modern Therapy”, which is due to be published in March 2023. In this issue, we will provide the scientific public with the latest advances in our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of clinical depression and discuss emerging or potential therapies which have great promise for patients with depression. Please join us in sharing our knowledge in this field so that others may benefit from our insights and be encouraged by the prospect of a hopeful future for psychiatric patients struggling with depression. Publication instructions will be standard for the journal. However, most submitted manuscripts should be research articles reporting important emerging information regarding depression pathology or promising therapeutic approaches towards depression treatment. A limited number of review articles will be accepted to prevent redundancy and topic overlap. If you are interested in submitting a review, please contact us directly with an outline of your intended manuscript. Authors intending to submit a publishable work should confirm their participation by November 1, 2022. We look forward to hearing from you.

This Special Issue is supervised by Prof. Dr. Albert Pinhasov and assisted by our Topical Advisory Panel Member Dr. Michael Kirby.

Prof. Dr. Albert Pinhasov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

depression
neuropathology
microbiome
inflammation
targeted interventions

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Insomnia and the Pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder: An Evaluation of a Broad Selection of Serum and Urine Biomarkers

by Tina Drinčić, Jens H. van Dalfsen, Jeanine Kamphuis, Mike C. Jentsch, Sjoerd M. van Belkum, Marcus J. M. Meddens, Brenda W. J. H. Penninx and Robert A. Schoevers

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(9), 8437; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24098437 - 8 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1712

Abstract

Insomnia exhibits a clinically relevant relationship with major depressive disorder (MDD). Increasing evidence suggests that insomnia is associated with neurobiological alterations that resemble the pathophysiology of MDD. However, research in a clinical population is limited. The present study, therefore, aimed to investigate the relationship between insomnia and the main pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD in a clinical sample of individuals with MDD. Data were extracted from three cohorts (N = 227) and included an evaluation of depression severity (Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, QIDS-SR₁₆) and insomnia severity (QIDS-SR₁₆ insomnia items) as well as serum and urine assessments of 24 immunologic (e.g., tumour necrosis factor α receptor 2 and calprotectin), neurotrophic (e.g., brain-derived neurotrophic factor and epidermal growth factor), neuroendocrine (e.g., cortisol and aldosterone), neuropeptide (i.e., substance P), and metabolic (e.g., leptin and acetyl-L-carnitine) biomarkers. Linear regression analyses evaluating the association between insomnia severity and biomarker levels were conducted with and without controlling for depression severity (M = 17.32), antidepressant use (18.9%), gender (59.0% female; 40.5% male), age (M = 42.04), and the cohort of origin. The results demonstrated no significant associations between insomnia severity and biomarker levels. In conclusion, for the included biomarkers, current findings reveal no contribution of insomnia to the clinical pathophysiology of MDD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression: Molecular Pathology and Modern Therapy)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1778 KiB

Open AccessReview

Depression among Patients with an Implanted Left Ventricular Assist Device: Uncovering Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Implications for Patient Care

by Hilmi Alnsasra, Fouad Khalil, Radha Kanneganti Perue and Abed N. Azab

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(14), 11270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241411270 - 10 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3596

Abstract

Depression is a common and devastating mental illness associated with increased morbidity and mortality, partially due to elevated rates of suicidal attempts and death. Select patients with end-stage heart failure on a waiting-list for a donor heart undergo left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. The LVAD provides a circulatory flow of oxygenated blood to the body, mimicking heart functionality by operating on a mechanical technique. LVAD improves functional capacity and survivability among patients with end-stage heart failure. However, accumulating data suggests that LVAD recipients suffer from an increased incidence of depression and suicide attempts. There is scarce knowledge regarding the pathological mechanism and appropriate treatment approach for depressed LVAD patients. This article summarizes the current evidence on the association between LVAD implantation and occurrence of depression, suggesting possible pathological mechanisms underlying the device-associated depression and reviewing the current treatment strategies. The summarized data underscores the need for a rigorous pre-(LVAD)-implantation psychiatric evaluation, continued post-implantation mental health assessment, and administration of antidepressant treatment as necessary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression: Molecular Pathology and Modern Therapy)

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24 pages, 9704 KiB

Open AccessReview

Probiotics as a Tool for Regulating Molecular Mechanisms in Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

by Michalina Sikorska, Anna Z. Antosik-Wójcińska and Monika Dominiak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3081; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043081 - 4 Feb 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4258

Abstract

Depression is one of the main mental disorders. Pharmacological treatment of depression is often associated with delayed effects or insufficient efficacy. Consequently, there is a need to discover new therapeutic methods to cope with depression faster and more effectively. Several lines of evidence indicate that the use of probiotic therapy reduces depressive symptoms. Nonetheless, the exact mechanisms linking the gut microbiota and the central nervous system, as well as the potential mechanisms of action for probiotics, are still not entirely clarified. The aim of this review was to systematically summarize the available knowledge according to PRISMA guidelines on the molecular mechanisms linking probiotics and healthy populations with subclinical depression or anxiety symptoms, as well as depressed patients with or without comorbid somatic illnesses. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated. Twenty records were included. It has been found that probiotic administration is linked to a significant increase in BDNF levels during probiotic treatment compared to the placebo (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI [0.07, 0.68], p = 0.02) when considering the resolution of depressive symptoms in depressed patients with or without comorbid somatic illnesses. CRP levels were significantly lower (SMD = −0.47, 95% CI [0.75, −0.19], p = 0.001), and nitric oxide levels were significantly higher (SMD = 0.97, 95% CI [0.58, 1.36], p < 0.0001) in probiotic-treated patients compared to the placebo, however, only among depressed patients with somatic co-morbidities. There were no significant differences in IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and cortisol levels after probiotic administration between the intervention and control groups (all p > 0.05). Firm conclusions on the effectiveness of probiotics and their possible association with inflammatory markers in the healthy population (only with subclinical depressive or anxiety symptoms) cannot be drawn. The advent of clinical trials examining the long-term administration of probiotics could evaluate the long-term effectiveness of probiotics in treating depression and preventing its recurrence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Depression: Molecular Pathology and Modern Therapy)

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