Anxious for a cure New research has revealed some of the underlying environmental, behavioural and biological factors behind anxiety. The condition affects countless individuals and it has come to represent an economic burden in terms of sick leave taken from work. Health © Shutterstock Scientists have known for a long time that two brain hormones, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, play a role in anxiety. It has recently come to light that environmental risk factors may affect serotonin-related genes, and that GABA receptors play an important role in mediating the anxiety-countering effects of GABA. It is also now known that these two hormonal systems interact, but deeper insights are needed if targeted therapies are to be developed. Specialists in development, neuronal plasticity, neurobehaviour, neuropharmacology and mouse genetics came together under the EU-funded 'Serotonin and Gaba-B receptors in anxiety: From developmental risk factors to treatment' (DEVANX) project to gain further related insights. They focused on how GABA and serotonin systems interact in the developmental programming of anxiety. Project researchers fully characterised various mouse models, including some that were deficient in serotonin or certain GABA receptor activities. They were able to determine the role of two GABA receptors, GABAb1A and GABAb1B, as well as the implication of specific hippocampal circuits involved in remembering anxiety-causing stimuli. The team also validated new genetic methods to examine serotonin circuits. They found that pharmacogenetic approaches worked well to tease apart anxiety-related circuits. A number of scientific publications have been published relating to this research, pointing to the massive contribution the DEVANX project has made to the field. A better understanding of the mechanisms driving anxiety could lead to novel therapeutic approaches.
