Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) Technology: Potential Targets for Depression.

ABSTRACT

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous condition with complex pathophysiology resulting from the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Despite a reasonable array of therapeutic options, the management of MDD has been marked by an increasing number of treatment resistant cases. Identifying the multiple pathways involved in the pathogenesis of MDD is fundamental to move the field forward and to define novel and more effective therapeutic targets. The current disease models are not able to recapitulate the complexity of this condition. In the last years, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a unique tool to help the elucidation of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders through disease modeling. In addition, the iPSCs may play an important role in the validation of new therapeutic targets.