“New Discovery Links Brain Gene to Anxiety Symptoms and Potential Drug Target”

Anxiety disorders affect a significant portion of the population, with 1 in 4 people being diagnosed at least once in their lifetime. Despite this, current anti-anxiety drugs have limited success rates, highlighting the need for more potent treatments. In a recent study, an international team of scientists has identified a brain gene called miR483-5p, which is linked to anxiety symptoms. Increases in miR483-5p levels were found to suppress the expression of the Pgap2 gene, affecting changes in neuronal morphology in the amygdala and anxiety-related behavior. The discovery of the miR483-5p/Pgap2 pathway offers a potential drug target for anxiety relief and the development of novel, more effective treatments for anxiety disorders. The study was led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Exeter and was published in the journal Nature Communications. The research was funded by the Medical Research Council, Academy of Medical Sciences, Leverhulme Trust, Marie Sklodowska-Curie, and the Polish National Science Centre.