Scientists Develop Pioneering Biomarker To Predict Depression and Bipolar Disorder

Researchers from Australia recently developed and validated a world-pioneering test claiming to exactly gauge brain protein levels identified to be linked to depression and bipolar disorder.

The new study proposes that this test could provide doctors with an objective diagnostic mechanism to examine patients for various mood disorders.

A New Atlas report said that an extensive study in recent years has "circled around a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF."

This essential protein plays a vital role in reloading brain cells and stimulating healthy "neural functions and low levels of it" associated with certain conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, and mood disorders.

Some studies have proposed that one way exercise is exerting beneficial impacts on the brain is by enhancing the BDNF levels.

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(Photo : Enrique Meseguer on Pixabay)
Researchers from Australia have recently developed and validated a world-pioneering test that is claimed to exactly gauge a brain protein levels identified to be linked to depression and bipolar disorder.

BDNF Protein

In general, when scientists are referring to BDNF, they are pertaining to a specific mature form of the mBDNF protein.

Nevertheless, as indicated in the study, the protein can exhibit two other forms which include the BDNF's precursor "referred to as proBDNF, and the prodomain of BDNF."

Furthermore, studies have specified these different BDNF forms have different biological functions. In some circumstances, the dissimilarities between mBDNF and the two other forms are basically contradicting and thus, it is essential the current tests can differentiate these types of protein.

 Unfortunately, according to the said report, present "commercial assay kits" are unable to separate the BDNF types accurately.

New Assay Kit Developed

These Australian scientists have now developed a new assay kit that, for the first time, accurately determine the types of BDNF.

According to one of the scientists working on this new research, Xin-Fu Zhou, "as mature BDNF and proBDNF" are performing different activities, working in contrast to each other, it is vital that we could differentiate the two proteins and identify "changes in their levels."

The currently-existing BDNF ELISA, enzyme-associated immunosorbent assay kits, are said to be not non-specific and can cross-reaction with each other. This world-pioneer kit the researchers have developed comprises an exact 80- to 83-percent rate.

The Australian researchers' latest work, which the Journal of Psychiatric Research recently published, set out to try the new BDNF assay and especially gauge the levels of mBDNF in broad cohort comprising subject suffering from depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or any history or background of suicidal attempt.

Study Findings

The study discovered that low mBDF levels did not associate with both clinical depression and bipolar disorder, while severe symptoms of depression were associated with lower mBDNF levels compared to subjects who had moderate symptoms.

Interestingly, mBDNF levels in the suicide group were found "not unusually low." The mBDNF levels of the group were actually the same as those observed in healthy control subjects.

Discussing this apparently conflicting result the researchers proposed the "etiology of suicide" may be more varied compared to the previously expected.

More so, more detailed longitudinal studies will be needed to tease out the link between suicide and levels of mBDNF.

Another convincing finding in this new research is that, higher mBDNF levels were identified in major depressive order or MDD subjects who are presently taking antidepressants, compared to the MDD subjects who are not taking the said medications.

This interestingly proposes testing for acute rises to levels of mBDNF may be a helpful way to measure how a patient is responding to a given antidepressant therapy.

Although this study is still said to be preliminary, Zhou proposed a particular "mBDNF blood level could serve as an objective diagnostic tool for doctors."

In concurrence with a clinical test, the scientist said, levels of mBDNF below 12.4 ng/ml may be a diagnostic inception to categorize both bipolar disorder and MDD.

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