Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common mental health condition worldwide. Its core symptoms are the deprivation of pleasure, low mood and diminished interest, accompanied by psychological and somatic syndromes. While existing theories have revealed some of the pathological mechanisms, no single hypothesis can fully explain MDD pathogenesis due to the disease's highly heterogeneous nature. In recent years, it has been discovered that peripheral organs can interact with the central nervous system in a bidirectional manner via various pathways, including neurological, endocrine, immune and metabolic pathways. The role of these organs in MDD has gradually attracted attention. This article reviews progress in this field, examining clinical research, animal models, and therapeutic interventions. The study aims to provide theoretical support for constructing a multidimensional diagnostic and treatment system for MDD and to promote the development of diagnostic markers and multi-targeted therapeutic strategies by analyzing the synergistic mechanism of peripheral-central interactions.
Liu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.