Many people with depression are prescribed antidepressant medication, which affects chemical messengers in the brain.
However, around one in three patients does not experience significant improvement from treatment. As a result, researchers are searching for alternative explanations for the disorder.
Several studies indicate that inflammatory processes in the body may play a role in some patients, according to SciTechDaily.
A small trial
The new trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry, involved 30 people with moderate to severe depression.
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All participants had previously tried standard treatments without sufficient benefit and also showed signs of inflammation in their blood.
Researchers gave some participants the drug tocilizumab, which is normally used to treat conditions including rheumatoid arthritis. The remaining participants received a placebo. Participants were monitored for four weeks.
The results showed that the group receiving the medication generally experienced greater improvements in depressive symptoms, anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life than the placebo group.
Could change future treatment
The researchers emphasize that the trial was small and that larger studies are needed before the treatment can be widely used.
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Existing anti-inflammatory medications may potentially help some people with treatment-resistant depression.
If future studies confirm the findings, the immune system could become a new target for the treatment of depression.
Sources: SciTechDaily and JAMA Psychiatry.
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