Epigenetics and depression: current challenges and new therapeutic options

Epigenetics comprises heritable but concurrent variable modifications of genomic DNA defining gene expression. The aim of this publication is to review the field of epigenetics in depression. Within this scope, we outline potential therapeutic options evolving in this young field of psychiatric research.

Recently published papers show that epigenetic mechanisms like histone modifications and DNA methylation affect diverse pathways leading to depression-like behaviors in animal models. Adverse alterations of gene expression profiles, including glucocorticoid receptor or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, were shown to be inducible by early life stress and reversible by epigenetic drugs. Postmortem studies revealed epigenetic changes in the frontal cortex of depressed suicide victims. There exists profound evidence for histone deacetylase inhibitors to be a novel line of effective antidepressants via counteracting previously acquired adverse epigenetic marks.

Because of the complex causal factors leading to depression, epigenetics is of considerable interest for the understanding of early life stress in depression. The current research regarding epigenetic pharmaceuticals is promising and deserves further attention in depression and psychiatry in general, and may strike out new ways towards individually tailored therapies.