New Discovery of “Anxiety Gene” and Natural Way to Turn it Off Could Lead to Breakthrough Anxiety Treatments

A breakthrough discovery has been made in the treatment of anxiety disorders, the most common mental illness in the world. Researchers have identified an “anxiety gene” in the brain of mice and found a natural way to turn it off, offering hope for future treatments for anxiety. People with anxiety disorders experience worry and dread persistently and without reason. Though medication can relieve symptoms, finding the right drug or combination of drugs can be a time-consuming process of trial and error. The discovery of increased levels of microRNAs in the brain region implicated in anxiety, the amygdala, and the subsequent suppression of the Pgap2 gene, offers potential for treating anxiety disorders. Further research is necessary to validate the findings in humans, but these results represent a significant step forward in the development of effective anti-anxiety therapies.