Biomarkers of Major Depressive Disorder and Applications to Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

This paper reviews recent research into potential biomarkers for major depressive disorder. The potential biomarkers are classified into one of three groups, including growth factors, cytokines, and glial marker proteins. In order to determine the relative reliability of these potential biomarkers, I examine how effectively these substances, upon measurement, indicate presence of disease and response to treatment. The results demonstrate that some biomarkers are more reliable than others, but a larger point emerges—that a comprehensive MDD biomarker test should be developed and MDD subtypes should be defined, so that individualized treatments based on subtype can be developed and administered.