Nasal Spray Could Relieve Depression
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Attila Barabas/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Doctors regularly prescribe pills to combat depression but there may be a more efficient way of dealing with the mental disorder.
Dr. Fang Liu with the Center for Addiction and Mental Health has previously touted a protein peptide as a method of targeting depression without severe side-effects although delivery was done by an injection in the brain.
Through a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Liu and her team discovered through experiments that the peptide treatment can instead be delivered with a nasal spray, the first time such a method has been used.
The spray essentially prevents the binding of dopamine receptors in the brain that causes major depression. By disrupting the binding, peptide acts as an anti-depressant.
Although more clinical trials will be necessary, Liu said the nasal spray was as effective as other medications during animal testing.
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