Towards a molecular diagnosis of stress-related disorders. Fact or fiction?

The relationship between stress and the development of diseases is complex and the susceptibility to manifest them varies from person to person. Several studies indicate that, while short-term stress can be positive, chronic stress can be deleterious and has even been implicated in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Every day we are exposed to some type of stress, a situation aggravated by COVID 19 pandemic. Despite the prevalence of stress-related disorders, there are no standardized methods based on biochemical markers that could complement clinical evaluation in order to improve early diagnosis and treatment to apply. Hence, the search for readily accessible biomarkers of stress-induced disorders, e.g. circulating molecules and/or carried by extracellular vesicles, has gained popularity. While initial biomarker searches focused on neuronal molecules, in the last few years alternative sources were evaluated. Here, a specialist in Cognitive and Developmental Psychology will show us the importance of addressing mental health issues with particular focus on COVID-19 impact in the Argentinean population. Then, experts in the field of stress biomarker research from Chile, Mexico and Argentina will share their most recent findings and will show us how stress-induced alterations of the gut-brain axis functioning and of the inflammatory response could be exploited for biomarker discovery. Potential strategies to revert stress effects will also be discussed.