Scientists from the Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology have developed a drug derived from the bacteria "Lactobacillus".
According to Professor Valery Danilenko, head of the Department of Genetic Foundations of Biotechnology at the Institute of General Genetics, the drug has proven effective in treating depression and relieving anxiety in obese patients.
"This is a joint study of an antidepressant drug derived from Lactobacillus brevis bacteria in patients with depression—cases where depression is highly variable and multifaceted, and is associated with almost all chronic diseases," said the professor at the joint conference "Bioinformatics of Genome Organization and Structure/Biological Systems" held in Novosibirsk. "The drug has shown relatively good results in people with metabolic syndrome, or simply obesity."
According to him, the participants in the pilot project were young adults aged 34 to 36 who were obese and diagnosed with unipolar depression, a mental illness characterized by persistent depression, apathy, and loss of energy. The results of the 28-day treatment showed that the medication alleviated moderate to mild depressive symptoms. Their anxiety levels also decreased. Participants' questionnaires indicated that the treatment was associated with improved bowel function, improved mental health, and improved cognitive abilities.
It should be noted that the 15th Interdisciplinary Conference entitled “Bioinformatics of Genome Organization and Structure/Biological Systems” (BGRS/SB-2026) will be held from July 6-11 at Novosibirsk State University.
