Identification and experimental validation of hub genes underlying depressive-like behaviors induced by chronic social defeat stress.

Major depressive disorder (MDD), characterized by severe neuropsychiatric symptoms and significant cognitive deficits, continues to present both etiological and therapeutic challenges. However, the specific underlying mechanisms and therapeutic targets remain unclear. We analyzed human postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) samples from MDD patients using datasets GSE53987 and GSE54568, identifying three key genes: AGA, FBXO38, and RGS5.