New Hope for Treating Bipolar Disorder

Researchers say they have made new findings for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Patients suffering from this disorder experience two states of chronic mania and depression, suffering from depression for a period before entering a manic state. Depending on the severity of these two phases, bipolar disorder is divided into two types: one and two. According to News Medical, a group of researchers in the field of neurological and psychological disorders in Florida, USA, have identified a set of genes that significantly increase the likelihood of developing bipolar disorder in individuals. This discovery could lead to the identification of treatments that specifically target these genes. In this study, the PDE10A gene, one of the genes that may contribute to the onset of bipolar disorder, was closely examined. This gene produces a protein that is very effective in the occurrence of manic and depressive episodes in individuals. Ron Davis, head of the neurology department at the Scripps Research Institute where this study was conducted, states: 'We started with the idea that mood changes in patients with bipolar disorder may be related to changes in the composition of these proteins. We found that this hypothesis is correct. These changes in genes alter their function, increasing the likelihood of an individual developing bipolar disorder.' This group of researchers examined the brain tissues of individuals with bipolar disorder and compared them with healthy individuals. Dr. Courtney McMullen, one of the authors of this study, says that the PDE10A19 protein is significant because we did not know until recently that it exists in humans. This protein is found in some mammals: 'When we fully understand how this protein works in the nervous system, we can create a drug that acts like it and use it to treat nervous systems where this protein does not function properly, resulting in psychological disorders.' Dr. Davis believes that the complexity of gene expression in the human brain is very high and has been 'underestimated' so far. According to Davis, the future of genetic neurology should begin with a deep study of each gene's ability to produce specific proteins, as incorrect conclusions can lead to incorrect treatments for patients with psychological disorders. Davis states: 'We still have much to learn about the large family of enzymes and their role in diseases like bipolar disorder.'