Relationship of immune-inflammatory pathway and stress-induced depression with neural regeneration
Major depressive disorder is a complex psychiatric condition characterized by mood dysregulation, cognitive impairment, and somatic symptoms. Recent studies underscore the pivotal roles of neural regeneration and inflammation in its pathophysiology. This narrative review synthesizes emerging evidence linking neuroinflammatory pathways and impaired neurogenesis in major depressive disorder. We explore mechanisms including microglial activation, kynurenine pathway dysregulation, synaptic remodeling, and gut-brain axis alterations. Special emphasis is placed on recent discoveries highlighting molecular cross-talk between immune responses and neural plasticity. By mapping these interactions, we aim to advance understanding of major depressive disorder subtypes and support the development of inflammation-targeted therapies.
Authors
- Kejian Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3506-5301)
- Jason H. Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4426-0168)
- Zhaoyu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8023-0516)
- Junchi He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4662-3639)
- Qingying Yu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5692-2766)
- Yike Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8450-2387)
- Shuyi Ye
- Fushun Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2010-6254)
- Peng Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4117-4165)
- Jing Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4825-9674)
- Yu Cao
- Simeng Gu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7018-8075)
- Mengjia Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4285-8712)
- Ning Weng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3008-7868)
- Qin Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9512-6798)
- Liping Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3750-8946)
Institutions
- Jiangsu University (CN)
- Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (CN)
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CN)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple (US)
- Shandong Mental Health Center (CN)
- Baylor Scott & White Health (US)
- Sichuan Normal University (CN)
- Phoenix Contact (United States) (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Neural Regeneration Research
- Published
- 2025-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-25-00324
- Primary Topic
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00