Lipidomics of the response to antidepressants in patients with depression

• Grant number: 24/05677-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Martins-de-Souza
• Grantee: Rodrigo Engel de Faria Pesquero
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Depression is considered the fourth leading cause of premature death and disability. This disease is commonly associated with depressed mood, anhedonia, changes in behavior and appetite, and reduced productivity at work. The main treatment is the administration of antidepressants from different classes. However, it is observed that up to 30% of patients using antidepressants do not experience a significant improvement in symptoms. Therefore, studies that seek to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the response to antidepressants, as well as candidate biomarkers of different molecular natures, are necessary to predict the effectiveness of a given drug. This project's main objective is to investigate the lipid changes in blood plasma that occur after six weeks of treatment with antidepressants belonging to two different classes, in patients who respond well to the medication, and also to elucidate the mechanisms through which the response is not successful. Furthermore, propose a preliminary panel of candidate lipidomic biomarkers for predicting response to the aforementioned drugs. To this end, liquid chromatography associated with non-hypothesis-directed mass spectrometry will be used for a lipidomic approach to investigate the plasma of patients treated with these medications. The investigation of different concentrations of lipids and their participation in biochemical reactions related to the response to medication can play a central role in identifying changes in patients' bodies.