Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
05:42
The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior
Published on: March 2, 2015
Pharmacogenomics of suicidal events
David Brent1, Nadine Melhem, Gustavo Turecki
1Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, 3811 O'Hara Street, Room 315 Bellefield Towers, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. brentda@upmc.edu
Pharmacogenomics
|May 28, 2010
Summary
Pharmacogenomic studies link gene variations to antidepressant-emergent suicidal ideation in depressed patients. Future research should focus on clinically significant events and biological pathways for improved antidepressant treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacogenomics
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Pharmacogenomic studies investigate genetic associations with antidepressant treatment-emergent suicidal events in depressed patients.
- Polymorphisms in genes related to transcription, neuroprotection, neurotransmission, stress response, and glycoprotein synthesis are implicated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and synthesize findings from pharmacogenomic studies on antidepressant treatment-emergent suicidal events.
- To identify genetic factors associated with suicidal ideation and behavior in depressed patients undergoing antidepressant treatment.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of six unique studies involving 3231 subjects.
- Identification of gene polymorphisms associated with suicidal ideation and behavior.
Main Results:
- 13.1% of patients experienced increases in suicidal ideation, 0.25% attempted suicide, and 0.12% completed suicide.
- Genes involved in CREB1, BDNF, NTRK2, GRIA3, GRIK2, ADRA2A, FKBP5, IL28RA, and PAPLN were associated with these events.
- These genetic systems are also implicated in suicidal behavior independent of treatment.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacogenomic associations with antidepressant-emergent suicidal events are modest and primarily involve increased suicidal ideation.
- Future research should prioritize clinically significant events, treatment response phenotypes, side effects, and relevant biological pathways to enhance antidepressant therapies.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Genetic variations significantly influence drug response through pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biologic milieu modifications. Pharmacokinetic alterations impact drug metabolism and clearance, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, alter drug activation and elimination. For example, CYP2C9 loss-of-function variants require lower warfarin doses to prevent excessive bleeding, while CYP2C19 variants reduce clopidogrel...
01:29Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets
Advances in genomics have profoundly influenced drug discovery by increasing both the speed and accuracy of pharmaceutical development. Pharmacogenomics, which examines how genetic variation influences drug response, facilitates the identification of novel therapeutic targets and enables patient stratification for personalized treatment. These strategies contribute to improved drug efficacy, minimized adverse effects, and more efficient clinical trial design.Mapping genetic differences...
01:29Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics: Overview
Pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics examine how genetic factors influence an individual's response to drugs. While pharmacogenetics focuses on the impact of specific genetic variants on drug effects, pharmacogenomics takes a broader approach, studying how genetic variation across populations contributes to differences in drug responses. These fields aim to explain why individuals may experience varying levels of efficacy or adverse reactions to the same medication.Variability in drug...
01:27Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: Overview
Genetic polymorphism in drug metabolism is crucial to the inter-individual variability observed in drug responses. Drug metabolism primarily involves the chemical modification of drugs and other xenobiotics to enhance their elimination by increasing their polarity. Two main classes of enzymes mediate this biotransformation process: Phase I enzymes, primarily cytochrome P450s, catalyze oxidation and reduction reactions, while other enzymes, such as esterases, mediate hydrolysis, and Phase II...
01:11Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Genetic polymorphisms in drug targets have emerged as critical determinants of interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity. Pharmacogenomic investigations increasingly focus on identifying these variations to personalize and optimize therapeutic interventions. A drug target may be a receptor, enzyme, or signaling protein involved in pharmacologic responses or disease-related pathways. While early pharmacogenetic studies focused primarily on drug metabolism, current research...
01:28Human Genetics
Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...