at whether some anti—inflammatory drugs might help certain patients. 0ur medical correspondent fergus walshing cause of ill health and disability worldwide. but around a third of patients who seek help don't respond to drug treatments or talking therapies. so now, scientists are trying a radical new approach. this team at king's college london are examining physical, rather than mental, causes for depression. in particular, they are looking at whether the immune system, which is designed to defend to our bodies, can be a source of psychological harm. carmine pariante has spent 20 years investigating the link between the immune system and depression. so we know that stress activates the immune system. it's a physiological response in a situation of dangers. however, chronic life adversity switches on the immune system permanently. this affects the brain. it disrupts the connection between the different neurons, and this is what create the depressive symptoms. they are looking for biomarkers in patients' blood and saliva that show inflammation, a sign that the immune system is in overdrive. t