A team of local scientists says it has discovered a gene that regulates depression, opening doors to treat depression via molecular biology.

The team led by Hanyang University Professor Son Hyeon said Monday it discovered that an activity-dependent gene called neuritin, found in the neuron of the hippocampus, participates in regulating depression levels.

The research team said that it examined the brains of mice with depression and found that the level of neuritin had dropped significantly. Such levels returned to normal when the mice with depression were injected with antidepressants.

The team is hoping that their discovery of neuritin will contribute to the early diagnosis of depression or in the development of antidepressants.

The team’s research results were published in the U.S.’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.