Read an article by Jean Hamann explaining Caroline Ménard’s research, which identifies a new target for the treatment of depression:
The treatment of depressed people must restore the proper functioning of the barrier between the blood and the brain.
To better treat people with depression, not only do we need to treat the neurons affected by the disease, but we also need to ensure that the integrity of the barrier that ensures the exchanges between the peripheral blood circulation and the brain is restored. This is the main conclusion of a study published today in the journal PNAS by the team of Professor Caroline Ménard of Université Laval and her Canadian, American and European collaborators.
Between 30% and 50% of people suffering from depression have little or no response to antidepressants. “This suggests that biological mechanisms other than those directly affecting neurons are involved. We know, for example, that depression is associated with inflammatory problems as well as vascular dysfunction,” says Caroline Ménard, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine, researcher at the Cervo Research Centre and holder of the Sentinel North Research Chair in the Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience.
Read more on the Université Laval news site (in French only): nouvelles de l’Université Laval
