ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rebecca Brachman - Neuroscientist, writer, entrepreneur
Rebecca Brachman is a pioneer in the field of preventative psychopharmacology, developing drugs to enhance stress resilience and prevent mental illness.

Why you should listen

Current treatments for mood disorders only suppress symptoms without addressing the underlying disease, and there are no known cures. The drugs Rebecca Brachman is developing would be the first to prevent psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Brachman completed her PhD at Columbia University, prior to which she was a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where she discovered that immune cells carry a memory of psychological stress and that white blood cells can act as antidepressants and resilience-enhancers. Brachman's research has been featured in The Atlantic, WIRED and Business Insider, and her work was recently described by Dr. George Slavich on NPR as a "moonshot project that is very much needed in the mental health arena."

In addition to conducting ongoing research at Columbia, Brachman is an NYCEDC Entrepreneurship Lab Fellow and cofounder of Paravax -- a biotech startup developing vaccine-like prophylactic drugs ("paravaccines") -- along with her scientific collaborator, Christine Ann Denny. She is also working on a non-profit venture to repurpose existing generic drugs for use as prophylactics, and previously served as the Interim Program Director for Outreach at the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University.

Brachman is also a playwright and screenwriter. She holds Bachelor's degrees in both neuroscience and creative wWriting, and she is currently working on a tech-focused writing project with her long-time writing partner, Sean Calder ("Grimm," "Damages," "ER"). She served as the director of NeuWrite, a national network of science-writing groups that fosters ongoing collaboration between scientists, writers and artists, and she has been featured as a storyteller at The Story Collider.

(Photo: Kenneth Willardt)

More profile about the speaker
Rebecca Brachman | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxNewYork

Rebecca Brachman: Could a drug prevent depression and PTSD?

Rebecca Brachman: Pode un fármaco previr a depresión e o estrés postraumático?

Filmed:
1,563,420 views

O camiño cara a un novo fármaco está empedrado con descubrimentos accidentais. Neste conto ben contado de como se produce a ciencia, a neurocientífica Rebecca Brachman comparte noticias dun tratamento innovador atopado de forma fortuíta que pode previr o desenvolvemento de trastornos mentais como a depresión ou o estrés postraumático. E agarda atento por un inesperado --e controvertido-- xiro.
- Neuroscientist, writer, entrepreneur
Rebecca Brachman is a pioneer in the field of preventative psychopharmacology, developing drugs to enhance stress resilience and prevent mental illness. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
This is a tuberculosis ward,
0
1060
3015
Este é un pavillón de tuberculosos,
00:16
and at the time this picture was taken
in the late 1800s,
1
4100
3816
e cando se tomou a foto,
a finais do século XIX,
00:19
one in seven of all people
2
7939
2617
unha de cada sete persoas
00:22
died from tuberculosis.
3
10580
1760
morría de tuberculose.
00:24
We had no idea
what was causing this disease.
4
12780
2760
Non tiñamos nin idea de que
estaba a causar esta enfermidade.
00:28
The hypothesis was actually
5
16140
2056
A hipótese era, de feito,
00:30
it was your constitution
that made you susceptible.
6
18220
3256
que a nosa constitución
nos facía susceptibles.
00:33
And it was a highly romanticized disease.
7
21500
2736
E foi unha enfermidade moi idealizada.
00:36
It was also called consumption,
8
24260
2816
Chamóuselle “tise”,
00:39
and it was the disorder of poets
9
27100
3136
e era a doenza dos poetas,
00:42
and artists and intellectuals.
10
30260
2736
dos artistas e dos intelectuais.
00:45
And some people actually thought
it gave you heightened sensitivity
11
33020
3736
E había quen pensaba que te transportaba
a unha maior sensibilidade
00:48
and conferred creative genius.
12
36780
2200
e che outorgaba un xenio creativo.
00:52
By the 1950s,
13
40700
2136
Durante a década dos 50,
00:54
we instead knew
that tuberculosis was caused
14
42860
2576
sóubose que a tuberculose estaba causada
00:57
by a highly contagious
bacterial infection,
15
45460
3376
por unha infección bacteriana
moi contaxiosa,
01:00
which is slightly less romantic,
16
48860
2176
o que era ben menos romántico,
01:03
but that had the upside
17
51060
2256
pero tiña a vantaxe
01:05
of us being able to maybe
develop drugs to treat it.
18
53340
3336
de que se cadra podiamos
crear medicinas para tratala.
01:08
So doctors had discovered
a new drug, iproniazid,
19
56700
3016
Os médicos descubriron un novo fármaco,
a iproniacida,
01:11
that they were optimistic
might cure tuberculosis,
20
59740
3376
coa que tiñan esperanzas
de curar a tuberculose;
01:15
and they gave it to patients,
21
63140
1776
así que lla deron aos pacientes,
01:16
and patients were elated.
22
64940
1776
e os pacientes estaban eufóricos.
01:18
They were more social, more energetic.
23
66740
3496
Estaban máis sociables, máis activos.
01:22
One medical report actually says
they were "dancing in the halls."
24
70260
4600
Un informe médico indicaba que
eles estaban a "bailar polos corredores".
01:27
And unfortunately,
25
75500
1616
Por desgraza,
01:29
this was not necessarily
because they were getting better.
26
77140
2720
isto non significaba
que estivesen mellorando.
01:32
A lot of them were still dying.
27
80420
2200
Moitos estaban morrendo.
01:35
Another medical report describes them
as being "inappropriately happy."
28
83660
6600
Outro informe médico describiuno como
"indebidamente felices".
01:43
And that is how the first
antidepressant was discovered.
29
91220
3600
E así foi como se descubriu
o primeiro antidepresivo.
01:47
So accidental discovery
is not uncommon in science,
30
95980
4056
Polo tanto, os descubrimentos accidentais
non son raros na ciencia,
01:52
but it requires more
than just a happy accident.
31
100060
3136
pero cómpre algo máis
ca un feliz accidente.
01:55
You have to be able to recognize it
for discovery to occur.
32
103220
3440
Debes ser capaz de recoñecelo
para poder descubrilo.
01:59
As a neuroscientist,
I'm going to talk to you a little bit
33
107500
2736
Como neurocientífica, vou falar un pouco
sobre a miña experiencia de primeira man
02:02
about my firsthand experience
34
110260
1416
02:03
with whatever you want to call
the opposite of dumb luck --
35
111700
3216
con como queirades chamarlle
ao contrario do puro azar,
02:06
let's call it smart luck.
36
114940
1616
podemos chamarlle azar intelixente.
02:08
But first, a bit more background.
37
116580
2720
Pero primeiro, un pouco máis de contexto.
02:12
Thankfully, since the 1950s,
38
120460
2656
Afortunadamente, dende os anos 50,
02:15
we've developed some other drugs
and we can actually now cure tuberculosis.
39
123140
3976
desenvolvemos outros fármacos
e agora podemos curar a tuberculose.
02:19
And at least in the United States,
though not necessarily in other countries,
40
127140
3655
E polo menos nos Estados Unidos, aínda
que non necesariamente noutros países
02:22
we have closed our sanitoriums
41
130820
1496
pechamos os nosos sanatorios
02:24
and probably most of you
are not too worried about TB.
42
132340
3680
e probablemente á maioría de vós
non vos preocupe moito a tuberculose.
02:28
But a lot of what was true
in the early 1900s
43
136900
2656
Pero moito do que era certo
a principios do século XX.
02:31
about infectious disease,
44
139580
1856
sobre enfermidades infecciosas
02:33
we can say now
about psychiatric disorders.
45
141460
2640
pódese dicir agora
dos trastornos psíquicos.
02:36
We are in the middle
of an epidemic of mood disorders
46
144820
3016
Estamos no medio dunha epidemia
de trastornos emocionais
02:39
like depression and post-traumatic
stress disorder, or PTSD.
47
147860
3760
coma a depresión
ou o estrés postraumático.
02:44
One in four of all adults
in the United States
48
152300
3856
Un de cada catro adultos nos EE. UU.
02:48
suffers from mental illness,
49
156180
1480
sofre unha enfermidade mental,
02:50
which means that if you haven't
experienced it personally
50
158180
3136
o que significa que
se non a viviches en persoa
02:53
or someone in your family hasn't,
51
161340
2296
nin ninguén da túa familia a tivo,
02:55
it's still very likely
that someone you know has,
52
163660
3256
é moi probable
que a teña alguén que coñezas,
02:58
though they may not talk about it.
53
166940
1640
aínda que non fale dela.
03:02
Depression has actually now surpassed
54
170220
3296
A depresión superou
03:05
HIV/AIDS, malaria, diabetes and war
55
173540
4856
á sida, á malaria, á diabetes e á guerra
03:10
as the leading cause
of disability worldwide.
56
178420
3256
coma primeira causa
de discapacidade no mundo.
03:13
And also, like tuberculosis in the 1950s,
57
181700
3616
E tamén, coma a tuberculose nos 50,
03:17
we don't know what causes it.
58
185340
2056
non sabemos qué a provoca.
03:19
Once it's developed, it's chronic,
59
187420
1936
Unha vez que se desenvolve, é crónica,
dura toda a vida,
03:21
lasts a lifetime,
60
189380
1496
03:22
and there are no known cures.
61
190900
2320
e non hai cura coñecida.
03:26
The second antidepressant we discovered,
62
194660
2216
O segundo antidepresivo que descubrimos
03:28
also by accident, in the 1950s,
63
196900
2456
tamén por accidente, nos anos 50,
03:31
from an antihistamine
that was making people manic,
64
199380
3200
a partir dun antiestamínico
que estaba volvendo maníaca á xente,
03:35
imipramine.
65
203860
1200
foi a imipramina.
03:38
And in both the case of the tuberculosis
ward and the antihistamine,
66
206220
3656
E no caso do pavillón de tuberculosos
e mais no do antiestamínico,
03:41
someone had to be able to recognize
67
209900
1696
alguén se deu conta
03:43
that a drug that was designed
to do one thing --
68
211620
2416
de que o fármaco creado
para facer unha cousa,
03:46
treat tuberculosis
or suppress allergies --
69
214060
2576
--tratar a tuberculose
ou suprimir alerxias--
03:48
could be used to do
something very different --
70
216660
2736
podería usarse para algo moi diferente
--tratar a depresión.
03:51
treat depression.
71
219420
1200
03:53
And this sort of repurposing
is actually quite challenging.
72
221380
3016
Este tipo de redeseño
é bastante estimulante.
03:56
When doctors first saw
this mood-enhancing effect of iproniazid,
73
224420
3936
Cando os médicos viron por primeira vez
como a iproniacida melloraba o ánimo,
04:00
they didn't really recognize
what they saw.
74
228380
2456
non se decataron do que estaban vendo.
04:02
They were so used to thinking about it
75
230860
1856
Estaban tan habituados a pensar
04:04
from the framework
of being a tuberculosis drug
76
232740
2776
dende o marco de que era un fármaco
para a tuberculose
04:07
that they actually just listed it
77
235540
2056
que se limitaron a anotalo
04:09
as a side effect, an adverse side effect.
78
237620
2776
como un efecto secundario,
un efecto secundario negativo.
04:12
As you can see here,
79
240420
1151
Como podedes ver aquí,
04:13
a lot of these patients in 1954
are experiencing severe euphoria.
80
241596
4024
moitos deses pacientes en 1954
estaban experimentando euforia extrema.
04:18
And they were worried
that this might somehow interfere
81
246900
3616
E eles estaban preocupados por se isto
podería interferir dalgún xeito
04:22
with their recovering from tuberculosis.
82
250540
2856
coa súa recuperación da tuberculose.
04:25
So they recommended that iproniazid
only be used in cases of extreme TB
83
253420
6256
Así que se recomendou que a iproniacida
se empregase só en tuberculoses extremas
04:31
and in patients that were
highly emotionally stable,
84
259700
3680
e en pacientes que fose
moi estables emocionalmente,
04:36
which is of course the exact opposite
of how we use it as an antidepressant.
85
264220
3896
que é o modo contrario
a como se emprega un antidepresivo.
04:40
They were so used to looking at it
from the perspective of this one disease,
86
268140
4456
Estaban tan habituados a velo
dende a perspectiva dunha soa doenza
04:44
they could not see the larger implications
for another disease.
87
272620
3920
que non podían ver as grandes implicacións
para outra distinta.
04:49
And to be fair,
it's not entirely their fault.
88
277380
2696
E sendo sinceros, non é só culpa súa.
04:52
Functional fixedness
is a bias that affects all of us.
89
280100
2776
A fixación funcional é
un prexuízo que nos afecta a todos.
04:54
It's a tendency to only
be able to think of an object
90
282900
3456
É a tendencia de dar pensado nun obxecto
04:58
in terms of its traditional
use or function.
91
286380
2600
só en termos da súa función tradicional.
E o contexto mental é diferente, non si?
05:01
And mental set is another thing. Right?
92
289740
1896
05:03
That's sort of this preconceived framework
93
291660
2016
É con esta especie de marco preconcibido
05:05
with which we approach problems.
94
293700
1776
con quen afrontamos os problemas.
05:07
And that actually makes repurposing
pretty hard for all of us,
95
295500
3256
E isto fainos moi complicado
facer ese redeseño,
05:10
which is, I guess, why they gave
a TV show to the guy who was,
96
298780
3536
supoño que por iso lle deron
un programa de TV a un tipo
05:14
like, really great at repurposing.
97
302340
1800
ao que se lle dá tan ben facelos.
05:16
(Laughter)
98
304660
1880
(Risas)
05:19
So the effects in both the case
of iproniazid and imipramine,
99
307180
4336
Os efectos, nos dous casos,
da iproniacida e da imipramina
05:23
they were so strong --
100
311540
1376
foron tan fortes
que había maníacos,
ou persoas bailando polos corredores.
05:24
there was mania,
or people dancing in the halls.
101
312940
2216
05:27
It's actually not that surprising
they were caught.
102
315180
3136
Non é tan sorprendente que se detectasen.
05:30
But it does make you wonder
what else we've missed.
103
318340
3480
Pero isto fai que te preguntes
qué máis pasamos por alto.
05:35
So iproniazid and imipramine,
104
323020
2176
A iproniacida e a imipramina,
05:37
they're more than just
a case study in repurposing.
105
325220
2416
son máis que un caso de redeseño.
05:39
They have two other things in common
that are really important.
106
327660
2976
Teñen en común outras dúas cousas
moi importantes.
05:42
One, they have terrible side effects.
107
330660
2496
Primeira: terribles efectos secundarios.
05:45
That includes liver toxicity,
108
333180
2616
Entre outros, toxicidade hepática,
05:47
weight gain of over 50 pounds,
109
335820
2976
incremento de peso de preto de 25 quilos,
05:50
suicidality.
110
338820
1776
tendencias suicidas.
05:52
And two, they both
increase levels of serotonin,
111
340620
4176
E segundo: os dous aumentan
os niveis de serotonina,
05:56
which is a chemical signal in the brain,
112
344820
2336
que é un sinal químico no cerebro,
05:59
or a neurotransmitter.
113
347180
1200
un neurotransmisor.
06:01
And those two things together,
right, one or the two,
114
349380
2496
E se collemos as cousas xuntas,
--cada unha delas,
separada non é tan importante--
06:03
may not have been that important,
115
351900
1616
pero xuntas significaban que cumpría
desenvolver fármacos máis seguros,
06:05
but the two together meant
that we had to develop safer drugs,
116
353540
3736
06:09
and that serotonin seemed
like a pretty good place to start.
117
357300
3520
e que a serotonina parecía
un bo sitio para comezar.
06:13
So we developed drugs
to more specifically focus on serotonin,
118
361660
3896
Por iso, desenvolvemos fármacos
que se centrasen máis na serotonina,
06:17
the selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors, so the SSRIs,
119
365580
3656
os inhibidores selectivos
de recaptación da serotonina (ISRS),
06:21
the most famous of which is Prozac.
120
369260
2736
o máis famoso dos cales é o Prozac.
06:24
And that was 30 years ago,
121
372020
1976
Diso hai 30 anos,
06:26
and since then we have mostly
just worked on optimizing those drugs.
122
374020
3200
e dende aquela viñémonos centrando
en mellorar eses fármacos.
06:29
And the SSRIs, they are better
than the drugs that came before them,
123
377740
3216
E os ISRS son mellores ca os fármacos
que había antes ,
06:32
but they still have a lot of side effects,
124
380980
2096
pero aínda teñen
moitos efectos secundarios:
06:35
including weight gain, insomnia,
125
383100
2896
suba de peso, insomnio,
06:38
suicidality --
126
386020
1200
tendencias suicidas...
06:40
and they take a really long time to work,
127
388100
2336
e tardan moito en facer efecto,
06:42
something like four to six weeks
in a lot of patients.
128
390460
2536
unhas catro ou seis semanas
en moitos pacientes.
E iso naqueles en que funcionan.
06:45
And that's in the patients
where they do work.
129
393020
2176
Hai moitos pacientes
aos que estes fármacos non lles funcionan.
06:47
There are a lot of patients
where these drugs don't work.
130
395220
2856
06:50
And that means now, in 2016,
131
398100
3376
E iso significa que agora, en 2016,
06:53
we still have no cures
for any mood disorders,
132
401500
3816
aínda non temos cura
para ningún trastorno emocional,
06:57
just drugs that suppress symptoms,
133
405340
2056
só fármacos que suprimen síntomas,
06:59
which is kind of the difference between
taking a painkiller for an infection
134
407420
4056
o que é como se para unha infección
tomamos un analxésico
07:03
versus an antibiotic.
135
411500
1416
ou un antibiótico.
07:04
A painkiller will make you feel better,
136
412940
1856
Co analxésico pódeste sentir mellor,
pero non vai facer nada
para tratar a enfermidade subxacente.
07:06
but is not going to do anything
to treat that underlying disease.
137
414820
3080
07:10
And it was this flexibility
in our thinking
138
418700
2336
E grazas a esta flexibilidade
no noso pensamento
07:13
that let us recognize
that iproniazid and imipramine
139
421060
2936
puidemos recoñecer
que a iproniacida e a imipramina
07:16
could be repurposed in this way,
140
424020
2096
poderían redeseñarse dese xeito,
07:18
which led us to the serotonin hypothesis,
141
426140
1976
o que nos levou á hipótese da serotonina,
07:20
which we then, ironically, fixated on.
142
428140
3000
coa que, ironicamente, nos obsesionamos.
07:23
This is brain signaling, serotonin,
143
431980
2536
Estes son sinais no cerebro, serotonina,
dun anuncio de ISRS.
07:26
from an SSRI commercial.
144
434540
1256
07:27
In case you're not clear,
this is a dramatization.
145
435820
2360
Por se non está claro,
isto é unha dramatización.
07:30
And in science, we try
and remove our bias, right,
146
438660
4056
E na ciencia,
intentamos eliminar os prexuízos
07:34
by running double-blinded experiments
147
442740
2376
facendo estudos de dobre cego
07:37
or being statistically agnostic
as to what our results will be.
148
445140
3696
ou sendo estatisticamente agnósticos
sobre os resultados que podemos atopar.
07:40
But bias creeps in more insidiously
in what we choose to study
149
448860
4296
Pero os nesgos entran raposeiramente
naquilo que decidimos estudar
07:45
and how we choose to study it.
150
453180
1720
e en como decidimos estudalo.
07:48
So we've focused on serotonin now
for the past 30 years,
151
456260
3576
E así, nos últimos 30 anos,
centrámonos na serotonina,
07:51
often to the exclusion of other things.
152
459860
2240
excluíndo con frecuencia outros elementos.
07:54
We still have no cures,
153
462860
1360
Seguimos sen ter cura.
07:57
and what if serotonin
isn't all there is to depression?
154
465180
3416
E se a serotonina non fose
o único factor da depresión?
08:00
What if it's not even the key part of it?
155
468620
2056
E se nin sequera fose unha parte esencial?
08:02
That means no matter how much time
156
470700
2176
Isto significa que tanto ten o tempo
08:04
or money or effort we put into it,
157
472900
2736
os cartos ou o esforzo que lle adiquemos,
08:07
it will never lead to a cure.
158
475660
1920
nunca nos levará a unha cura.
Nos últimos anos, os médicos descubriron
o que probablemente é
08:10
In the past few years,
doctors have discovered
159
478500
2576
08:13
probably what is the first truly new
antidepressant since the SSRIs,
160
481100
4920
o primeiro antidepresivo real dende os
inhibidores de recaptación da serotonina,
08:18
Calypsol,
161
486540
1296
o Calipsol,
08:19
and this drug works very quickly,
within a few hours or a day,
162
487860
3456
e este fármaco funciona moi rápido,
nunhas poucas horas ou un día,
08:23
and it doesn't work on serotonin.
163
491340
1896
e non se basea en serotonina.
08:25
It works on glutamate,
which is another neurotransmitter.
164
493260
2680
Faino no glutamato, outro neurotransmisor.
08:28
And it's also repurposed.
165
496380
1496
E tamén tiña outra función.
08:29
It was traditionally used
as anesthesia in surgery.
166
497900
3080
Tradicionalmente empregábase
coma anestesia en operacións.
Pero ao revés cós fármacos anteriores
08:33
But unlike those other drugs,
167
501540
1656
08:35
which were recognized pretty quickly,
168
503220
1816
que se identificaron bastante axiña,
08:37
it took us 20 years
169
505060
1696
levou 20 anos darse conta
08:38
to realize that Calypsol
was an antidepressant,
170
506780
2656
de que o Calipsol era un antidepresivo,
08:41
despite the fact that it's actually
a better antidepressant,
171
509460
2856
a pesar de ser, en realidade,
un antidepresivo mellor
ca a maioría dos outros fármacos.
08:44
probably, than those other drugs.
172
512340
1616
08:45
It's actually probably because of the fact
that it's a better antidepressant
173
513980
4096
E probablemente,
por ser un antidepresivo mellor
08:50
that it was harder for us to recognize.
174
518100
1895
custounos máis recoñecelo.
08:52
There was no mania to signal its effects.
175
520019
2081
Non había loucura
que amosase os seus efectos.
08:54
So in 2013, up at Columbia University,
176
522580
3096
En 2013, na Universidade de Columbia,
08:57
I was working with my colleague,
177
525700
1576
estaba a traballar coa miña colega,
08:59
Dr. Christine Ann Denny,
178
527300
1976
a dra. Christine Ann Denny,
09:01
and we were studying Calypsol
as an antidepressant in mice.
179
529300
3800
estabamos estudando o Calipsol
como un antidepresivo en ratos.
09:05
And Calypsol has, like,
a really short half-life,
180
533660
2816
O Calipsol ten unha vida media moi curta,
09:08
which means it's out of your body
within a few hours.
181
536500
3056
o que significa que permanece no corpo
só unhas poucas horas.
Estábamos facendo probas piloto.
09:11
And we were just piloting.
182
539580
1416
09:13
So we would give an injection to mice,
183
541020
2256
Poñeriámoslle unha inxección aos ratos,
09:15
and then we'd wait a week,
184
543300
1296
e esperariamos unha semana,
09:16
and then we'd run
another experiment to save money.
185
544620
2680
e despois fariamos outro experimento
para poder aforrar cartos.
09:20
And one of the experiments I was running,
186
548020
2136
E nun dos meus experimentos
09:22
we would stress the mice,
187
550180
1656
estresabamos aos ratos,
09:23
and we used that as a model of depression.
188
551860
2216
e usabamos isto
como un modelo de depresión.
09:26
And at first it kind of just looked
like it didn't really work at all.
189
554100
3336
Ao comezo parecía
que non funcionaba en absoluto.
09:29
So we could have stopped there.
190
557460
1520
Puidemos parar nese momento.
09:31
But I have run this model
of depression for years,
191
559540
2896
Pero usei este modelo de depresión
durante moitos anos,
09:34
and the data just looked kind of weird.
192
562460
1896
e os resultados parecían estraños.
09:36
It didn't really look right to me.
193
564380
1856
Parecíame que estaban mal.
09:38
So I went back,
194
566260
1216
Volvín atrás,
09:39
and we reanalyzed it
195
567500
1496
o e reanaliceinos
09:41
based on whether or not they had gotten
that one injection of Calypsol
196
569020
3816
baseándome en se recibiran ou non
unha inxección de Calipsol
09:44
a week beforehand.
197
572860
1200
a semana anterior.
09:46
And it looked kind of like this.
198
574940
2016
E eran algo coma isto.
09:48
So if you look at the far left,
199
576980
2136
Se mirades á esquerda,
09:51
if you put a mouse in a new space,
200
579140
2496
se poñedes un rato nun novo espazo,
09:53
this is the box, it's very exciting,
201
581660
2256
a caixa neste caso, é moi emocionante,
09:55
a mouse will walk around and explore,
202
583940
2136
o rato camiñará e explorará a contorna
09:58
and you can see that pink line
is actually the measure of them walking.
203
586100
4296
e pódese ver a liña rosa,
que á a medida do que camiñan.
10:02
And we also give it
another mouse in a pencil cup
204
590420
3176
Tamén puxemos outro rato
nun gobelete
10:05
that it can decide to interact with.
205
593620
2056
co que podía decidir interaccionar.
10:07
This is also a dramatization,
in case that's not clear.
206
595700
3216
Isto tamén é unha dramatización,
por se non está claro.
10:10
And a normal mouse will explore.
207
598940
3696
Un rato normal explorará.
10:14
It will be social.
208
602660
1240
Será sociable.
10:16
Check out what's going on.
209
604620
1376
Mirade o que está a pasar.
10:18
If you stress a mouse
in this depression model,
210
606020
2896
Se estresas un rato
neste modelo de depresión,
10:20
which is the middle box,
211
608940
1280
que é a caixa do medio,
10:23
they aren't social, they don't explore.
212
611100
1896
non son sociables, non exploran.
10:25
They mostly just kind of hide
in that back corner, behind a cup.
213
613020
3280
Eles, sobre todo, escóndense
nesa esquina, detrás do gobelete.
10:29
Yet the mice that had gotten
that one injection of Calypsol,
214
617020
3096
Porén, os ratos que recibiron
a inxección de Calipsol,
10:32
here on your right,
215
620140
1200
védelo á vosa dereita,
10:34
they were exploring, they were social.
216
622060
1960
estaban explorando, eran sociables.
10:36
They looked like they
had never been stressed at all,
217
624740
2480
Parecía coma se nunca antes
estiveran estresados,
10:40
which is impossible.
218
628020
1200
o que era imposible.
10:42
So we could have just stopped there,
219
630260
1720
Poderíamos parar aquí,
10:44
but Christine had also used
Calypsol before as anesthesia,
220
632780
4296
pero Christine tamén usara antes
Calipsol como anestesia,
e había uns anos que detectara
10:49
and a few years ago she had seen
221
637100
1576
que parecía ter algúns efectos
estraños nas células
10:50
that it seemed to have
some weird effects on cells
222
638700
2376
e nalgún outro comportamento
10:53
and some other behavior
223
641100
1216
10:54
that also seemed to last
long after the drug,
224
642340
3016
que tamén parecía manterse
moito despois de tomar o fármaco,
se cadra, unhas poucas semanas.
10:57
maybe a few weeks.
225
645380
1256
10:58
So we were like, OK,
226
646660
1256
Así que nos dixemos,
10:59
maybe this is not completely impossible,
227
647940
2176
ao mellor isto non é de todo imposible”,
11:02
but we were really skeptical.
228
650140
1496
pero eramos moi escépticas.
11:03
So we did what you do in science
when you're not sure,
229
651660
2536
E fixemos o que se fai en ciencia
cando un non está seguro:
11:06
and we ran it again.
230
654220
1200
intentámolo outra vez.
11:08
And I remember being in the animal room,
231
656460
3016
Lembro de estar no cuarto dos animais,
11:11
moving mice from box to box
to test them,
232
659500
3656
movendo ratos dunha caixa á outra
para analizalos,
11:15
and Christine was actually sitting
on the floor with the computer in her lap
233
663180
3616
e Christine estaba sentada no chan
co ordenador no colo
11:18
so the mice couldn't see her,
234
666820
1416
para que os ratos non a visen,
11:20
and she was analyzing
the data in real time.
235
668260
2256
e ela estaba analizando os datos
en tempo real.
11:22
And I remember us yelling,
236
670540
1376
Recordo que berramos,
11:23
which you're not supposed to do
in an animal room where you're testing,
237
671940
3296
algo que non debes facer nunha sala
con animais que estás analizando,
11:27
because it had worked.
238
675260
1576
porque funcionou.
11:28
It seemed like these mice
were protected against stress,
239
676860
4376
Parecía coma se estes ratos
estivesen protexidos contra o estrés,
11:33
or they were inappropriately happy,
however you want to call it.
240
681260
3056
ou estaban indebidamente felices,
coma lle queirades chamar.
11:36
And we were really excited.
241
684340
2440
E estabamos moi emocionadas.
11:39
And then we were really skeptical,
because it was too good to be true.
242
687820
3480
E despois eramos realmente escépticas,
porque era demasiado bo para ser certo.
11:43
So we ran it again.
243
691860
1200
Así que volvémolo probar.
11:45
And then we ran it again in a PTSD model,
244
693740
2736
Volvemos probalo nun modelo
de estrés postraumático,
11:48
and we ran it again
in a physiological model,
245
696500
2416
e outra vez nun modelo fisiolóxico,
11:50
where all we did was give stress hormones.
246
698940
2216
onde só lles demos hormonas do estrés.
11:53
And we had our undergrads run it.
247
701180
1616
Tiñamos estudantes facendo probas.
11:54
And then we had our collaborators
halfway across the world in France run it.
248
702820
4120
E tamén os nosos colaboradores
do outro lado do mundo, en Francia.
11:59
And every time someone ran it,
they confirmed the same thing.
249
707780
3216
E cada vez que alguén facía probas
confirmábanos o mesmo.
12:03
It seemed like
this one injection of Calypsol
250
711020
2816
Parecía que esta inxección de Calipsol
12:05
was somehow protecting
against stress for weeks.
251
713860
2760
dalgunha maneira protexía
do estrés durante semanas.
12:09
And we only published this a year ago,
252
717180
1856
Publicamos isto hai só un ano,
12:11
but since then other labs
have independently confirmed this effect.
253
719060
4080
pero dende aquela outros laboratorios
confirmaron este efecto independentemente.
12:15
So we don't know what causes depression,
254
723940
1920
Non sabemos qué causa a depresión,
12:18
but we do know that stress
is the initial trigger
255
726460
3696
pero si que o estrés é a causa inicial
12:22
in 80 percent of cases,
256
730180
2336
no 80 por cento dos casos,
e a depresión e o estrés postraumático
son doenzas distintas,
12:24
and depression and PTSD
are different diseases,
257
732540
2216
12:26
but this is something
they share in common.
258
734780
2016
pero isto é algo que comparten.
12:28
Right? It is traumatic stress
259
736820
1816
O estrés traumático,
12:30
like active combat or natural disasters
260
738660
2896
coma un combate ou un desastre natural
12:33
or community violence or sexual assault
261
741580
2456
ou violencia nas comunidades
ou unha agresión sexual
12:36
that causes post-traumatic
stress disorder,
262
744060
2280
que causa
trastorno por estrés postraumático,
12:38
and not everyone that is exposed to stress
develops a mood disorder.
263
746980
5616
e non todo o mundo exposto ao estrés
desenvolve un trastorno emocional.
12:44
And this ability to experience
stress and be resilient
264
752620
2896
E esta capacidade de
sentir estrés e resistilo
12:47
and bounce back and not develop
depression or PTSD
265
755540
4160
e recuperarse e non desenvolver
depresión ou estrés postraumático
12:52
is known as stress resilience,
266
760500
2256
coñécese como resistencia ó estrés,
12:54
and it varies between people.
267
762780
1856
e varía de persoa a persoa.
12:56
And we have always thought of it
as just sort of this passive property.
268
764660
3336
Sempre pensamos que se trataba
dun tipo de capacidade pasiva.
13:00
It's the absence of susceptibility factors
269
768020
2536
Non hai factores de susceptibilidade
13:02
and risk factors for these disorders.
270
770580
2080
nin factores de risco
para estes trastornos.
13:05
But what if it were active?
271
773620
1880
Pero e se fose unha capacidade activa?
13:08
Maybe we could enhance it,
272
776420
1496
Se cadra, poderiamos mellorala,
13:09
sort of akin to putting on armor.
273
777940
2160
algo así como poñer unha armadura.
13:13
We had accidentally discovered
the first resilience-enhancing drug.
274
781220
4600
Descubrimos accidentalmente o primeiro
fármaco que mellora a resistencia.
E como dixen, só administramos
unha pequena cantidade de fármaco
13:18
And like I said, we only gave
a tiny amount of the drug,
275
786740
2776
13:21
and it lasted for weeks,
276
789540
1576
e o efecto durou semanas,
13:23
and that's not like anything
you see with antidepressants.
277
791140
3216
algo que non se parece en nada
ao que vemos cos antidepresivos.
13:26
But it is actually kind of similar
to what you see in immune vaccines.
278
794380
4320
Parécese máis ao que pasa coas vacinas.
13:31
So in immune vaccines,
you'll get your shots,
279
799180
2936
Coas vacinas, pos unha inxección,
13:34
and then weeks, months, years later,
280
802140
3376
e durante semanas, meses ou anos,
13:37
when you're actually exposed to bacteria,
281
805540
2336
cando te expós á bacteria
13:39
it's not the vaccine in your body
that protects you.
282
807900
2456
non é a vacina do teu corpo
quen te protexe,
13:42
It's your own immune system
283
810380
1376
é o teu propio sistema inmunolóxico
13:43
that's developed resistance and resilience
to this bacteria that fights it off,
284
811780
4136
que desenvolveu resistencia e resiliencia
contra esta bacteria e pode combatela,
13:47
and you actually never get the infection,
285
815940
2136
e ti non colles a infección,
13:50
which is very different
from, say, our treatments. Right?
286
818100
3056
o que é moi distinto
a tratar a infección, non si?
13:53
In that case, you get the infection,
you're exposed to the bacteria,
287
821180
3816
Neste segundo caso,
colles a infección, exposte á bacteria,
13:57
you're sick, and then you take,
say, an antibiotic which cures it,
288
825020
3856
enfermas, e despois
tomas un antibiótico que a cura,
14:00
and those drugs are actually working
to kill the bacteria.
289
828900
3240
e eses fármacos traballan
para eliminar a bacteria.
Nin se parece ao que comentei antes,
dos fármacos paliativos,
14:04
Or similar to as I said before,
with this palliative,
290
832780
2496
14:07
you'll take something
that will suppress the symptoms,
291
835300
2856
tomarás algo que eliminará os síntomas,
14:10
but it won't treat
the underlying infection,
292
838180
2696
pero non tratará a infección subxacente,
14:12
and you'll only feel better
during the time in which you're taking it,
293
840900
3336
e tan só te atoparás mellor
mentres esteas tomando o fármaco,
14:16
which is why you have to keep taking it.
294
844260
1936
por iso tes que seguir tomándoo.
14:18
And in depression and PTSD --
295
846220
2696
E para a depresión
e o estrés postraumático
14:20
here we have your stress exposure --
296
848940
1976
--velaquí temos a exposición ao estrés--
14:22
we only have palliative care.
297
850940
2616
só temos tratamentos paliativos.
14:25
Antidepressants only suppress symptoms,
298
853580
2496
Os antidepresivos só eliminan os síntomas,
14:28
and that is why you basically
have to keep taking them
299
856100
2856
e esa é basicamente a razón pola cal
hai que seguir tomándoos
14:30
for the life of the disease,
300
858980
1696
durante a duración da enfermidade,
14:32
which is often
the length of your own life.
301
860700
2200
que é, con frecuencia, a da propia vida.
14:35
So we're calling our resilience-enhancing
drugs "paravaccines,"
302
863940
4216
Por iso lles chamamos aos nosos fármacos
que melloran a resistencia “paravacinas”,
14:40
which means vaccine-like,
303
868180
1536
que significa "coma unha vacina"
14:41
because it seems
like they might have the potential
304
869740
2496
porque parece que tivesen o potencial
14:44
to protect against stress
305
872260
1816
de protexernos contra o estrés
14:46
and prevent mice from developing
306
874100
3416
e previr que os ratos desenvolvan
14:49
depression and post-traumatic
stress disorder.
307
877540
2760
depresión e estrés postraumático.
14:52
Also, not all antidepressants
are also paravaccines.
308
880780
3440
Non todos os antidepresivos
son paravacinas.
14:57
We tried Prozac as well,
309
885300
1616
Tamén probamos co Prozac,
14:58
and that had no effect.
310
886940
1360
e non tivo efecto ningún.
15:01
So if this were to translate into humans,
311
889060
3016
Se isto se trasladase aos seres humanos
15:04
we might be able to protect people
312
892100
2576
poderíamos protexer á xente
que está potencialmente en perigo
15:06
who are predictably at risk
313
894700
2256
de trastornos provocados polo estrés
15:08
against stress-induced disorders
like depression and PTSD.
314
896980
3856
coma a depresión
ou o estrés postraumático.
15:12
So that's first responders
and firefighters,
315
900860
3136
Persoas como traballadores
de primeiros auxilios e bombeiros,
15:16
refugees, prisoners and prison guards,
316
904020
4136
refuxiados, reclusos
e funcionarios de prisións,
15:20
soldiers, you name it.
317
908180
2080
soldados, por citar algúns.
15:23
And to give you a sense
of the scale of these diseases,
318
911220
3800
Para darvos unha idea da magnitude
deste tipo de enfermidades,
15:27
in 2010, the global burden of disease
319
915620
3056
en 2010, a carga global destas doenzas
15:30
was estimated at 2.5 trillion dollars,
320
918700
3840
estimouse en 2,5 billóns de dólares
15:35
and since they are chronic,
321
923060
1536
e como son crónicas,
15:36
that cost is compounding
and is therefore expected to rise
322
924620
3216
o custo é acumulativo
polo que se prevé que medre
15:39
up to six trillion dollars
in just the next 15 years.
323
927860
3240
en seis billóns de dólares
só nos próximos 15 anos.
15:44
As I mentioned before,
324
932460
1579
Como mencionei antes,
15:46
repurposing can be challenging
because of our prior biases.
325
934064
4076
redeseñar un fármaco pode ser complexo
por causa dos nosos nesgos previos.
15:50
Calypsol has another name,
326
938860
1520
O calipsol ten outro nome,
15:53
ketamine,
327
941100
1200
ketamina,
15:55
which also goes by another name,
328
943380
1560
que tamén é coñecida como
15:57
Special K,
329
945460
1416
Special K,
15:58
which is a club drug and drug of abuse.
330
946900
2400
unha droga de deseño e un estupefaciente.
16:02
It's still used across the world
as an anesthetic.
331
950540
3096
Aínda se emprega ao redor do mundo
como anestésico.
16:05
It's used in children.
We use it on the battlefield.
332
953660
2856
Emprégase en nenos.
Empregámola nos campos de batalla.
16:08
It's actually the drug of choice
in a lot of developing nations,
333
956540
2976
De feito é o fármaco elixido
en moitos países en desenvolvemento
16:11
because it doesn't affect breathing.
334
959540
1856
porque non afecta á respiración.
16:13
It is on the World Health Organization
list of most essential medicines.
335
961420
4680
Está na lista de fármacos esenciais
da Organización Mundial da Saúde.
16:18
If we had discovered ketamine
as a paravaccine first,
336
966580
3560
Se descubrísemos a ketamina
primeiro com unha paravacina,
16:22
it'd be pretty easy for us to develop it,
337
970820
2856
sería bastante doado desenvolvérmola,
16:25
but as is, we have to compete
with our functional fixedness
338
973700
3856
pero temos que competir
contra a fixación funcional
16:29
and mental set that kind of interfere.
339
977580
2800
e os construtos mentais que interfiren.
16:33
Fortunately, it's not
the only compound we have discovered
340
981700
3856
Por sorte, non é
o único composto que descubrimos
16:37
that has these prophylactic,
paravaccine qualities,
341
985580
3440
con esas calidades
profilácticas e paravacinais,
16:41
but all of the other drugs
we've discovered,
342
989700
2200
pero os outros fármacos que atopamos,
ou compostos se prefiren,
son totalmente novos,
16:44
or compounds if you will,
they're totally new,
343
992780
2176
16:46
they have to go through
the entire FDA approval process --
344
994980
3616
teñen que superar o proceso completo
de aceptación da FDA
16:50
if they make it before
they can ever be used in humans.
345
998620
3576
antes de poder usarse en seres humanos.
16:54
And that will be years.
346
1002220
1656
E iso vai supoñer anos.
16:55
So if we wanted something sooner,
347
1003900
2256
Se queremos algo máis axiña,
16:58
ketamine is already FDA-approved.
348
1006180
2376
a ketamina xa está aprobada pola FDA.
17:00
It's generic, it's available.
349
1008580
2696
É xenérica, está dispoñible.
17:03
We could develop it for a fraction
of the price and a fraction of the time.
350
1011300
4160
Podería desenvolverse
pola metade de prezo e de tempo.
17:08
But actually, beyond
functional fixedness and mental set,
351
1016380
4376
Pero, máis alá da fixación funcional
e o construto mental,
17:12
there's a real other challenge
to repurposing drugs,
352
1020780
3576
hai outro desafío para
o redeseño de fármacos:
17:16
which is policy.
353
1024380
1199
as políticas.
17:18
There are no incentives in place
354
1026179
2216
Non existen incentivos
17:20
once a drug is generic and off patent
and no longer exclusive
355
1028419
3736
--se o fármaco é xenérico e sen patente
e non existe unha exclusividade--
17:24
to encourage pharma companies
to develop them,
356
1032179
2337
que animen ás farmacéuticas
a desenvolvelos,
17:26
because they don't make money.
357
1034540
1429
porque non gañan cartos.
17:28
And that's not true for just ketamine.
That is true for all drugs.
358
1036380
3120
Isto non só é certo para a ketamina.
Éo para todos os fármacos.
17:32
Regardless, the idea itself
is completely novel in psychiatry,
359
1040579
5657
De todos os xeitos, a propia idea
é totalmente novidosa en psiquiatría,
17:38
to use drugs to prevent mental illness
360
1046260
3896
usar drogas para previr
enfermidades mentais
17:42
as opposed to just treat it.
361
1050180
1360
no canto de tratalas.
17:44
It is possible that 20, 50,
100 years from now,
362
1052740
5056
É posible que en 20, 50, ou 100 anos
17:49
we will look back now
at depression and PTSD
363
1057820
4096
miremos a depresión
e o estrés postraumático
17:53
the way we look back
at tuberculosis sanitoriums
364
1061940
3216
como miramos hoxe
os sanatorios de tuberculosos,
17:57
as a thing of the past.
365
1065180
1200
como cousas do pasado.
17:59
This could be the beginning of the end
of the mental health epidemic.
366
1067180
5240
Isto podería ser o principio da fin
dunha epidemia de saúde mental.
18:05
But as a great scientist once said,
367
1073380
3200
Pero como un gran científico dixo,
18:09
"Only a fool is sure of anything.
368
1077900
2256
" Só un tolo está seguro de algo,
18:12
A wise man keeps on guessing."
369
1080180
2040
o sabio segue intentando adiviñar."
[MacGyver]
18:16
Thank you, guys.
370
1084044
1240
Grazas.
18:17
(Applause)
371
1085780
4066
(Aplausos)

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rebecca Brachman - Neuroscientist, writer, entrepreneur
Rebecca Brachman is a pioneer in the field of preventative psychopharmacology, developing drugs to enhance stress resilience and prevent mental illness.

Why you should listen

Current treatments for mood disorders only suppress symptoms without addressing the underlying disease, and there are no known cures. The drugs Rebecca Brachman is developing would be the first to prevent psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Brachman completed her PhD at Columbia University, prior to which she was a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where she discovered that immune cells carry a memory of psychological stress and that white blood cells can act as antidepressants and resilience-enhancers. Brachman's research has been featured in The Atlantic, WIRED and Business Insider, and her work was recently described by Dr. George Slavich on NPR as a "moonshot project that is very much needed in the mental health arena."

In addition to conducting ongoing research at Columbia, Brachman is an NYCEDC Entrepreneurship Lab Fellow and cofounder of Paravax -- a biotech startup developing vaccine-like prophylactic drugs ("paravaccines") -- along with her scientific collaborator, Christine Ann Denny. She is also working on a non-profit venture to repurpose existing generic drugs for use as prophylactics, and previously served as the Interim Program Director for Outreach at the Zuckerman Institute at Columbia University.

Brachman is also a playwright and screenwriter. She holds Bachelor's degrees in both neuroscience and creative wWriting, and she is currently working on a tech-focused writing project with her long-time writing partner, Sean Calder ("Grimm," "Damages," "ER"). She served as the director of NeuWrite, a national network of science-writing groups that fosters ongoing collaboration between scientists, writers and artists, and she has been featured as a storyteller at The Story Collider.

(Photo: Kenneth Willardt)

More profile about the speaker
Rebecca Brachman | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee