Researchers have found some new clinical applications of SSRIs other than the treatment of depression.
According to Neuroscience, a new study led by King’s researchers has suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), FDA-approved medications that help to treat depression and anxiety, have broader effects.
The study published in Molecular Psychiatry suggested that SSRIs impact the ability of cells to transport materials through membrane trafficking. It can help in the treatment of hard-to-reach conditions like dementia.
Dr Oleg Glebov, King’s IoPPN, said, “Given how little is known about the wider effects of antidepressants, we wanted to understand more about how these drugs affect the cells in our brains and bodies. What we found was that most antidepressants regulate the same key biological process across many tissues, which likely has little to do with their effect on depression.”
He explained, “Furthermore, our data suggests that a single antidepressant dose may be enough to effectively open up the blood-brain barrier for delivery of other drugs. We hope that this finding may help improve clinical efficacy and drive down the treatment cost for new drugs against dementia, which currently are unavailable to millions of people who need them.”
Glebov further added, “Besides that, we are excited to explore whether antidepressants may help deliver drugs into other hard-to-reach corners of the body.”
