A Virus May Be a Trigger for Depression
A research team from the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo has discovered a potential link between a specific virus and the development of depression later in life. This finding challenges the long-held belief that depression is primarily caused by inherited genes.
The team's research, published in a U.S. science journal in February, focuses on the human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6) and its role in producing SITH1 proteins. These proteins have been previously linked to depression.
HHV6 is a common virus that infects almost everyone during infancy. It typically causes a mild fever and remains dormant in the body throughout life. However, when a person experiences stress or illness, the virus can reactivate and spread to the brain, producing SITH1 proteins.
The research team found that individuals with SITH1 proteins are more likely to develop depression than those without. They also conducted experiments on mice, demonstrating that HHV6 reinfection of brain cells contributes to the development of depression.
one that readily produces SITH1 proteins and another that does so with difficulty. The study found that 68% of patients with depression were infected with the type that easily produces SITH1, compared to 29% of healthy individuals.
This suggests that the type of HHV6 virus transmitted from mother to infant may play a role in the child's susceptibility to depression, rather than solely relying on the mother's genes.
Professor Kazuhiro Kondo, a member of the research team, believes that understanding the mechanism behind this link could lead to the development of new solutions for preventing and treating depression.