Study links monocyte aging to depressive symptoms in women
Scientists just found that the way our immune cells age might be tied to how we experience depression.
In a study of women with and without HIV, researchers saw that faster aging in certain immune cells (monocytes) was linked to feeling hopeless or losing interest in things, classic signs of depression.
This could change how we spot and treat mental health issues.
MonoDNAmAge outperforms older methods
The tool used, MonoDNAmAge, checks the "biological age" of these immune cells using DNA markers and did a better job than older methods at connecting cell aging with emotional symptoms.
Researchers say this approach could be especially helpful for people at higher risk, like women living with HIV.
As Nicole Beaulieu Perez from NYU shared, "For women with HIV who may be experiencing depression, we want to better understand what's going on and catch it earlier so that it doesn't harm their whole overall health."
The hope is that mixing biological tests with regular symptom check-ins might lead to more precise mental health care in the future.