Beijing: 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.

According to Anadolu Agency, researchers discovered that in mice housed alone, iron content in a brain region known as the ventral hippocampus-responsible for emotional regulation-showed abnormal accumulation. Further analysis revealed that excess iron acts as an erroneous signal, activating a molecule known as iron-a-synuclein. This activation 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. In an effort to counteract this effect, researchers 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, emphasized that the findings open a path toward developing new treatments that are non-invasive, reversible, and independent of traditional anti-anxiety medication.