Bipolar disorder treatment with fewer side-effects

Bipolar disorder treatment with fewer side-effects

By Liz Lockhart

Scientists hope that a new finding will lead to better therapies for bipolar disorder.  These treatments should also have fewer side-effects.

The findings of a new study which was led by Dr. Qing-Jun Meng is published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLos) One.

For around 60 years a substance called lithium salt has been commonly used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and yet there has been very little research into how lithium effects the brain and peripheral body clock.  It is known that the extreme mood swings associated with bipolar disorder have a strong connection with disruptions in the 24-hourly rhythms which are controlled by our body clocks.  Body clocks govern our day and night activity.

Dr. Qing-Jun Ment said ‘Our study has shown a new and potent effect of lithium in increasing the amplitude, or strength, of the clock rhythms, revealing a novel link between the classic mood-stabiliser, bipolar disorder and body clocks.  By tracking the dynamics of a key clock protein, we discovered that lithium increased the strength of the clockwork in cells up to three-fold by blocking the actions of an enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase or GSK3.’

‘Our findings are important for two reasons, firstly they offer a novel explanation as to how lithium may be able to stabilise mood swings in bipolar patients.  Secondly, they open up opportunities to develop new drugs for bipolar disorder that mimic and even enhance the effect lithium has on GSK3 without the side-effects lithium salts can cause.’

It is well known that the side-effects of lithium can include:

  • Tremor
  • Weakness
  • Sedation and/or confusion
  • Nausea
  • Acne
  • Thirstiness
  • Muscle weakness

GSK3 inhibiting drugs are currently in development and appear to hold great promise.  They have also been shown to have implications for the treatment of other diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

‘Lithium salt has a wide spectrum of targets within cells, in addition to GSK3 inhibition, which has potential to be developed as a new pharmacological approach to regulate body clocks.  The implications of our study are that there may also be beneficial effects leading to new treatments for bipolar disorder, and this now needs to be tested,’ Dr. Meng concluded.

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