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Can precision medicine do for depression what it’s done for cancer? It won’t be easy

At a growing number of research centers, scientists are scanning brains of patients with depression, drawing their blood, and asking about their symptoms to pinpoint subtypes of depression, with the…

At a growing number of research centers across the country, scientists are scanning brains of patients with depression, drawing their blood, asking about their symptoms, and then scouring that data for patterns. The goal: pinpoint subtypes of depression, then figure out which treatments have the best chance of success for each particular variant of the disease.

The idea of precision medicine for depression is quickly gaining ground — just last month, Stanford announced it is establishing a Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness. And depression is one of many diseases targeted by , the National Institute of Health campaign launched this month to collect DNA and other data . Doctors have been for years, but the underlying biology of

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