Lassoing the possible stress gene

The expression “stress is a killer” may not be that far off-base. A team of researchers has pinpointed a specific gene that is sensitive to chronic stress and depression and that may also protect against illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

The study’s first author, Dr. Steven Cole, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, and his colleagues studied the IL6 gene and found it becomes hyperactive in response to chronic stress, loneliness or depression.