Nearly 300 genomic regions associated with increased risk for bipolar disorder have been uncovered.
Even though the heritability of bipolar disorder is estimated to be between 60 and 85 percent, most of the condition's genetic determinants are unknown. An international group of scientists has conducted the largest genome-wide association study of bipolar disorder to date, which included over 2.9 million participants – 158,036 people with bipolar disorder and 2,796,499 control individuals – allowing the identification of genomic regions associated with increased risk for the condition by over fourfold over previous studies. The researchers further identified 36 genes implicated in the condition.
'The newly identified genes may also be used in experiments to explore new drug targets and drug development for bipolar disorder,' said Dr Niamh Mullins, assistant professor of psychiatry, and genetics and genomic sciences, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, and one of the senior authors of the paper, published in Nature.
The team found that neurons in specific brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, might be relevant in the development of bipolar disorder. Moreover, they discovered that cells in the intestine and pancreas could also be involved in bipolar disorder biology, although more research is necessary to further understand this biological connection.
'While the findings may not immediately transform treatment, they offer long-term possibilities, including developing new medications targeting bipolar disorder's genetic factors,' noted Professor Ole Andreassen, director of the Centre of Precision Psychiatry at the University of Oslo, Norway, and lead investigator of the study.
Bipolar disorder is a long-term mood disorder, characterised by episodes of mania and depression (type I), or hypomania and depression (type II), affecting two percent of the UK population. The researchers found evidence of different genetic profiles of bipolar disorder depending on how participants were recruited – whether from clinical settings, community biobanks, or self-reported surveys. They uncovered a varying prevalence of bipolar subtypes in the different cohorts, demonstrating the necessity of subtype-specific analysis and tailored research methods.
The study included people of diverse ancestries, namely European, East Asian, African American and Latino descent. This led to the identification of an ancestry-specific association within the East Asian cohort, highlighting the importance of including diverse populations in genetic studies.
Bipolar disorder leads to many complications, such as suicide and deliberate self-harm. By uncovering the genetic background of the disorder, the team hopes that future studies can explore precision and personalised medicine approaches for the condition.
Sources and References
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The genetic key to bipolar disorder
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Largest genetic study of bipolar disorder identifies 298 regions of the genome that increase risk for the condition
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Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder
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Large study broadens view of the genetic landscape of bipolar disorder
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Largest genetic study of bipolar disorder identifies nearly 300 risk-associated genome regions
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Bipolar disorder risk loci, pathways uncovered in multi-ancestry GWAS
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