Test sought for antidepressant response

TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Israeli researchers say they are trying to discover biological markers that can predict a person's response to antidepressants.

The project, led by Tel Aviv University researcher David Gurwitz and his student, Ayelet Morag, found the most popular antidepressant medicines are effective for only 60 percent of people with depression.

"We are working to move the treatment of depression from a trial-and-error approach to a best-fit, personalized regimen," said Gurwitz, who noted that in the treatment of breast cancer, drugs are prescribed only after genetic tests show they would benefit the patient. He said there are no similar tests for predicting responses to antidepressants.

Gurwitz said his team will explore "whole-genome gene expression profiles" in cell lines from healthy people. Because some antidepressants inhibit the growth of blood cells, he said his researchers are now screening cell lines to determine which have the strongest and weakest growth-inhibition responses to these antidepressants. He said cells showing extreme responses will then be screened across the entire human genome to identify the genetic make-up that predicts the best response to antidepressants.

"We hope to produce a clear test for antidepressant drug responses to improve the odds for successful treatment," he said.