#396 Gene Therapy for Anxiety? Precision Psychiatry through CRISPR & RNA

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions, but for many people, it can also feel deeply isolating. Current treatments such as therapy, SSRIs, and benzodiazepines can be life-changing, but they do not work for everyone, and they often manage symptoms rather than addressing the underlying biology of anxiety.

In this episode of DNA Today, host Kira Dineen is joined by Dr. Troy Rohn, neuroscientist, professor at Boise State University, and Co-founder and Director of Preclinical Studies at Cognigenics. Dr. Rohn is also the author of Brain Medicine: Breakthroughs in Gene Therapy for Anxiety & Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders, a brand new book exploring how CRISPR, RNA interference, neurogenetics, and precision psychiatry could reshape the future of mental health treatment.

We take a deeply personal and scientific look at anxiety. Dr. Rohn shares how his own experiences with chronic anxiety and PTSD helped inspire his work, while also explaining the brain biology behind anxiety, including the roles of serotonin, GABA, the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, and thalamus.

A major focus of the episode is the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, produced through the HTR2A gene, and why this receptor has become an important target in Dr. Rohn’s preclinical research. Kira and Dr. Rohn explore how today’s treatments broadly influence serotonin signaling, while emerging gene-based approaches may someday allow researchers to more precisely reduce or silence specific pathways involved in anxiety.

The episode also breaks down the difference between CRISPR gene editing and RNA interference, including why reversibility, safety, off-target effects, and long-term consequences matter so much when discussing potential therapies for the brain. Dr. Rohn also explains one of the biggest challenges in the field: getting therapies across the blood-brain barrier.

Because this science is still preclinical, the conversation also focuses on how to talk about hope responsibly. Could gene therapy someday help treat anxiety at its source? Possibly. But there are major scientific, regulatory, ethical, and access questions that need to be answered before these approaches could become part of clinical care.

 

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The lived experience of anxiety, PTSD, and chronic hypervigilance
• Why anxiety is shaped by both genes and environment
• How current anxiety treatments work, including SSRIs, benzodiazepines, CBT, and service animals
• Why SSRIs can help some people but fall short for others
• The role of serotonin, GABA, and brain circuits in anxiety
• What the 5-HT2A receptor is and why it matters
• How the HTR2A gene leads to production of the 5-HT2A receptor protein
• The difference between broadly changing serotonin levels and targeting a specific receptor pathway
• How CRISPR could be used to make more permanent DNA changes
• How RNA interference could offer a more temporary or reversible way to reduce gene expression
• What preclinical animal studies can and cannot tell us
• Why the blood-brain barrier is such a major challenge for brain-targeted therapies
• Ethical questions around using gene therapy for mental health conditions
• How to balance scientific excitement with caution and realistic expectations

 

Guest Bio

Dr. Troy Rohn is a neuroscientist, professor at Boise State University, and Co-founder and Director of Preclinical Studies at Cognigenics. His research has focused on neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and memory impairment. In his book Brain Medicine: Breakthroughs i