Die gezielte Aktivierung des Immunsystems kann bei der Behandlung einer bestimmten Unterart der Depression hilfreich sein. Die Studie ergab, dass bestimmte Medikamente sowohl allgemeine depressive Symptome als auch die Unfähigkeit, Freude zu empfinden, reduzieren, wenn Patienten anhand erhöhter Entzündungsmarker ausgewählt werden.

>Research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry [suggests](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20241115) that anti-inflammatory treatments may be an effective intervention for depression, but only for individuals with an overactive immune system. The study found that when patients are selected based on elevated inflammation markers, these drugs reduce both general depressive symptoms and the inability to feel pleasure. This distinction helps explain why previous clinical trials, which did not account for inflammatory status, often produced inconsistent results.

>Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Current treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, do not work for every patient. Approximately one-third of individuals do not achieve full recovery even after trying multiple standard antidepressants. This gap in treatment efficacy has led scientists to investigate other biological systems that might contribute to mood disorders. Over the last two decades, research has increasingly pointed to the immune system.

>Evidence suggests that a significant minority of people with depression have chronic, low-grade inflammation. This condition is often referred to as inflammatory depression. In these cases, the immune system behaves as if the body is fighting an infection or healing an injury, even in the absence of physical trauma. This immune activation releases proteins called cytokines. These proteins can interact with the brain to produce symptoms such as fatigue, lack of motivation, and low mood.

>Previous clinical trials attempted to treat depression with anti-inflammatory drugs. The results of these past studies were inconsistent. Some trials showed a benefit, while others showed no effect compared to placebos. The authors of the current study hypothesized that these mixed results stemmed from a lack of precision.

>“One of the major challenges that we face when treating depression is that clinicians tend to use a one-size-fits-all approach, even though we suspect that there are different biological, psychological, and environmental causes of depression,” said study author Naoise Mac Giollabhui, a staff psychologist at the Depression Clinical Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School.