Gene-expression study indicates greater dysregulation of glutamate system in depressed females

Written by Courtney Johnson

A new study of postmortem tissue, carried out recently at the University of Illinois (IL, USA), has determined that the expression of glutamate receptor (GluRs) genes is elevated in the brains of females with major depressive disorder (MDD). Results also showed that a subset of these genes were elevated in males with MDD as well as in individuals who had died as a result of suicide. These data may offer a novel explanation for the higher incidence of suicide attempts among females as well as a potentially heightened predisposition to depression. Pre-existing data has associated an elevated suicide risk with...

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