Study will spark rethink on drugs used to treat depression

The world’s largest genetic study into a crippling disease has uncovered life-changing discoveries.

Researchers from Brisbane’s QIMR Berghofer took part in the study.

The world’s largest genetic study into depression has uncovered life-changing discoveries that will revolutionise treatments and spark a rethink on the use of current drugs.

Researchers from QIMR Berghofer and the University of Queensland are among the team that found 300 previously unknown genetic links to the condition, allowing scientists to predict depression risk.

The findings have also reinforced the evidence that mental health conditions are as biologically based as other conditions such as heart disease.

Very early indications from the study show that drugs used to treat chronic pain and the sleep disorder narcolepsy could potentially be repurposed to treat depression.

Since 2017 the international team, led by the University of Edinburgh and King’s College in London, has analysed data from 29 countries.

This included genetic samples from 680,000 people with depression and four million people who had not experienced depression.

The team found 697 genetic variants linked to depression, a remarkable increase on what was previously known.

Each genetic variant has a very small effect on the overall risk of someone developing depression.

If a person has multiple variants, these small effects can add up, increasing their risk.

QIMR researcher Brittany Mitchell

QIMR Berghofer researcher Brittany Mitchell said the current limited understanding of depression made it hard to improve outcomes.

“While depression is a growing major health issue, we lack the insights needed to better treat and prevent it,” she said.

Australia’s contribution to the international study was vital.

More than 50 of the newly identified gene variants came via results from the Australian Genetics of Depression Study, which provided a database of 16,000 participants with depression and 18,000 without depression providing saliva samples for analysis.

UQ scientist and Australian Genetics of Depression Study co-lead analyst Enda Byrne said the findings were a step forward to understanding depression at a biological level.

“Our research has identified numerous genetic factors that contribute to the condition, showing that it involves a complex mix of genes,” he said.

“These findings offer new opportunities to improve how we treat and support those with depression.”

The researchers said the findings also represented an opportunity to rethink current treatments for depression.

The team cautioned that further studies and clinical trials were needed.

Originally published as Study will spark rethink on drugs used to treat depression