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News — Scientists have high-tech tools to understand the biological factors that underly depression – from gut bacteria to genetics. But they have yet to be integrated in an effective manner, according to leading researchers.

“It is time for a paradigm shift in psychiatry,” two UT Southwestern experts write in a commentary published in .

Dr. Jane Foster, a UT Southwestern neuroscientist who co-authored the piece, has contributed to the nascent understanding of how gut bacteria contribute to depression symptoms such as anxiety and lack of sleep. She calls for a wide array of omic tools to be integrated into research projects across the country so scientists can learn why these links exist.

Researchers have established several omic approaches -- from genetics to the study of metabolites -- to understand biological molecules. The commentary calls for a multi-omic approach in which the microbiome and the gut-brain axis are integrated in study designs to develop a fuller picture of the biological processes involved in depression. Doing so would help scientists identify depression subgroups – based on objective biomarkers – that could lead to therapies that target the root causes in particular patients.