Gene variants linked to major depression

Friday May 28th 2021

A genome-wide association study has identified 178 gene variants linked to major depression, it has been announced.

The study, led by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers at Yale University School of Medicine and University of California-San Diego (UCSD), analysed medical records and genomes from more than 300,000 participants in the VA's Million Veteran Program (MVP).

They then combined the data in a meta-analysis with 1.2 participants in the genetic and health records from the UK Biobank, Finnish-based biobank FinnGen, and results from the consumer genetics company 23andMe.

The researchers crosschecked their findings with a separate sample of 1.3 million volunteers from 23andMe customers.

Writing in Nature Neuroscience, they say when the two sets of data from the different sources were compared, genetic variants linked to depression replicated with statistical significance for most of the markers tested.

They add that the size of the new GWAS study will help clinicians to develop polygenic risk scores to identify those most at risk of developing major depression and other related psychiatric disorders.

Co-lead author Daniel Levey, associate research scientist in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, said the study provides deep insights into the underlying biology of genetic disorders.

"It's really striking when completely different kinds of research converge on similar biology, and that's what's happening here," he said.

Co-senior author Dr Murray Stein, staff psychiatrist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at UCSD added: "One of the real goals of the research is bringing forward new ways to treat people suffering from depression."

Nature Neuroscience 27 May 2021

Tags: Genetics | Mental Health | North America

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