Cheap, too.......
An antibiotic used mostly to treat acne has been found to improve the quality of life for people with major depression, in a world-first clinical trial from Deakin University.
The trial added a daily dose of minocycline - a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has been prescribed since 1971 - to the usual treatment of 71 people experiencing major depression.
The research team, led by Deakin's Centre for Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Treatment within the School of Medicine, then compared the effects to a control group taking aplacebo.
The results - recently published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry - showed that those taking minocycline reported improved functioning and quality of life.
Lead researcher Dr Olivia Dean said the research took a unique "biological" approach to treating depressive symptoms, which could inform future therapies.
"There is evidence to suggest that people with major depressive disorder have increased levels ofinflammation in their body," Dr Dean said.
"Specifically, minocycline reduces brain inflammation in cell models, and thus we wanted to see if it was useful for people."