ISTANBUL

Chinese researchers have found that social isolation can cause iron accumulation in specific regions of the brain, inducing anxiety, Xinhua News reported Monday.

The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, was conducted by scientists from South China University of Technology, Zhejiang University and Southern Medical University using a mouse model designed to simulate long-term social isolation.

Researchers found that in mice housed alone, iron content in a brain region known as the ventral hippocampus - which plays a key role in emotional regulation - showed abnormal accumulation.

Further analysis showed that excess iron acts as an erroneous signal, activating a molecule known as iron-α-synuclein, which triggers excessive neuronal firing, comparable to an electrical short circuit continuously sending anxiety signals to the body.

This process specifically affects the brain’s emotional center, causing a targeted stress response linked to social isolation.

Researchers also administered various agents via nasal delivery in mice to target molecular iron, significantly reducing anxiety-related behavior.

Wang Zhuo, the first and corresponding author of the study, said the findings open a path toward developing new treatments that are non-invasive, reversible and independent of traditional anti-anxiety medication.