Polymorphisms of COMT and CREB1 are associated with treatment-resistant depression in a Chinese Han population

Addressing the Ethnicity Gap in Catechol O-Methyl Transferase Inhibitor Trials in Parkinson's Disease: A Review of Available Global Data

Catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors (COMT-Is) have significantly improved the quality of life and symptom management for those at advanced stages of Parkinson's Disease (PD). Given that PD is one of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative diseases worldwide, there is a need to establish a clear framework for the systematic distribution of COMT-Is, considering inter-individual and intra-individual variations in patient response. One major barrier to this is the underrepresentation of ethnic minority participants in clinical trials investigating COMT-Is. To investigate this, we performed a narrative review. We searched PubMed for clinical trials investigating COMT-Is in patients with PD and examined the ethnic diversity of cohorts. A total of 63 articles were identified, with 34 trials found to match our inclusion criteria. Among the 34 trials meeting our inclusion criteria, only 8 reported participants' ethnic backgrounds. Our findings reveal a consistent underrepresentation of ethnic minority groups in trials investigating COMT-Is in PD cohorts-a trend that reflects broader concerns across clinical research. In this review, we explore potential reasons for the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in clinical trials and propose strategies to address this issue.

PI3K/AKT signaling pathway: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential in depression

Depression is a serious global mental disorder. Numerous studies have found that depression may be closely related to decreased neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, neurotransmitter imbalance, and synaptic plasticity dysfunction. The pathogenesis of depression is complex and involves multiple signal transduction pathways and molecular changes. The PI3K/AKT pathway is an essential signaling pathways in neurons, which is widely expressed in emotion-related regions of the brain. Therefore, the PI3K/AKT pathway may play a moderating role in mood disorders. However, the role and mechanism of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in depression have not been fully described. This review systematically summarized the role of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of depression and discussed its potential in the treatment of depression. This will help in the treatment of depression and the development of antidepressants.

Distinctive Patterns of 5-Methylcytosine and 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by cognitive and social dysfunction. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors are together implicated in the pathogenesis and development of schizophrenia. DNA methylation, 5-methycytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxylcytosine (5hmC) have been recognized as key epigenetic elements in neurodevelopment, ageing, and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, distinctive 5mC and 5hmC pattern and expression changes of related genes have been discovered in schizophrenia. Antipsychotic drugs that affect 5mC status can alleviate symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting a critical role for DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Further exploring the signatures of 5mC and 5hmC in schizophrenia and developing precision-targeted epigenetic drugs based on this will provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.

The needle in the haystack: Identifying and validating common genes of depression, insomnia, and inflammation

BACKGROUND

Insomnia, inflammation, and depression are often co-occurring conditions. The mechanisms underlying these conditions remain unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We collected microarray datasets of depression and insomnia from GEO and analyzed them for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We then overlapped the DEGs with a list of inflammatory response-related genes to identify genes associated with all three conditions. We next performed analyses of enrichment analyses, KEGG mapping, and protein-protein interaction to identify hub genes. Furthermore, we established a depression rat model with inflammation and insomnia to validate the potential genes. At last, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to confirm the association of identified target genes with depression outcomes.

RESULTS

We obtained 32 common DEGs associated with the depression, insomnia and inflammatory, and found that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway might be involved in the inflammatory response in insomnia and depression. CREB1, CYBB, FYN, and CCR5 were identified as targets for the next validation. In model rats, the CCR5 and PI3K-AKT pathways were significantly up-regulated, while the model group exhibited significantly lower hippocampal p-CREB protein expression. The MR study suggested a potential causal relationship between CREB1 and the risk of depression (OR = 1.11, p = 0.013).

LIMITATIONS

The identified potential genes and pathways require further laboratory and clinical evidence verification.

CONCLUSION

We identified four potential inflammatory related-genes (CREB1, CYBB, FYN, and CCR5). CREB1 may be a potential inflammatory response-related biomarker and drug target for depression and insomnia, as validated by the followed rat model and MR study.

Geniposide improves depression by promoting the expression of synapse-related proteins through the Creb1/Six3os1 axis

The present study aims to investigate the mechanism of Geniposide in the treatment of depression. By screening the effective components and targets of Zhi-zi-chi decoction, 140 candidate targets related to depression were identified. Further transcriptome sequencing was conducted to screen differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs; 7 candidate Geniposide treatment targets for depression were obtained. KEGG/GO enrichment analysis and molecular docking were performed to select the optimal drug target, revealing that Creb1 is an important target. Additionally, Six3os1 is the lncRNA with the smallest P-value among the differentially expressed lncRNAs, and the JASPAR database revealed a binding site between Creb1 and the Six3os1 promoter. The intersection of Synapse-related genes obtained from the GeneCards database and differentially expressed mRNAs produced 6 synaptic-related genes. RNA-protein interaction prediction revealed that Six3os1 interacts with the protein encoded by these genes. Geniposide upregulates the expression of Creb1 and Six3os1. Creb1 can transcriptionally activate Six3os1, thereby upregulating the expression of the synaptic-related proteins Htr3a and Htr2a, improving depression.