SummaryMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is increasingly understood as a biologically heterogeneous condition in which immune and inflammatory processes contribute to symptom development and disease progression. Accumulating evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship: inflammatory signaling can influence brain function and behavior, while depression-related behavioral and metabolic factors can promote immune activation. Longitudinal meta-analytic data indicate that elevated inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms. The objective of this project is to characterize immune-related molecular signatures associated with depression and comorbid somatic conditions using high-throughput proteomic technologies. We will use Proximity Extension Assay (PEA)-based multiplex proteomics to measure circulating inflammatory and immune-related proteins in blood plasma samples from NAKO-Augsburg. PEA technology enables highly specific, high-throughput measurement of proteins simultaneously using minimal sample volumes. The project will analyze approximately 2,100 samples, integrating psychiatric phenotyping, life-course data, and molecular immune profiling. Expected public health impacts include improved stratification of depression subtypes based on immune signatures, identification of novel treatment targets, and precision therapy approaches targeting inflammation-driven depression subtypes.

Keywords cytokines immunopsychiatry inflammation major-depressive-disorder proteomics

InstitutionsHelmholtz Zentrum München, Bezirskliniken Schwaben / University of Augsburg, Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie, Universität Augsburg, BKH Augsburg, Max Planck Institut für Psychiatrie