Researchers testing the role of a mysterious gene have identified a new target for drugs designed to treat anxiety. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows that animals with multiple copies of the Glo1 gene were more likely to exhibit anxiety-like behavior in laboratory tests. Further experiments showed that Glo1 increased anxiety-like behavior by lowering levels of methylglyoxal (MG). Conversely, inhibiting Glo1 or raising MG levels reduced anxiety behaviors.
