The Functions of Neurogenesis in the Occurring and Developing of Depression
Liu Xing, Bao Jinfeng*
Depression is a kind of common mental illness. Currently, nearly 350 million people suffer from depression, and major depression has become the second common disabled disease in the worldwide, resulting in a heavy socioeconomic burden in families and societies. Despite recent advances in neuroscience research, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of depression remain poorly understood. Neurogenesis is a process of producing new neurons from neural stem cells. Besides maintaining normal physiological function, neurogenesis also plays a key role in pathophysiology and symptomatology for depression. In the past decades, extensive effort has been spent on the understanding of the functional significance of neurogenesis in the pathogenesis of depression, mechanisms of pharmacological treatment, and discovery of novel drug candidates for depression. This review discusses the role and mechanism of neurogenesis in depression.
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