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Genetics of Depression: Progress at Last.

Niamh Mullins1, Cathryn M Lewis2,3

  • 1MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK. niamh.mullins@kcl.ac.uk.

Current Psychiatry Reports
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Summary

Recent genome-wide association studies have identified genetic variants linked to depression. These findings offer insights into depression biology and potential new treatments.

Keywords:
DepressionGeneticsGenome-wide association studyHeterogeneityPolygenic

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatric Genetics
  • Genomics
  • Molecular Psychiatry

Background:

  • Depression is a complex polygenic disorder with significant heritability.
  • Identifying genetic underpinnings of depression is crucial for understanding its biology and developing targeted treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the success of recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in identifying genetic variants associated with depression.
  • To outline strategies employed to enhance GWAS power, such as reducing heterogeneity and increasing sample size.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing large-scale genome-wide association studies.
  • Employing meta-analyses and combining diverse cohorts to increase statistical power.
  • Focusing on specific populations (e.g., Chinese women with recurrent severe depression) and utilizing self-reported clinical diagnoses.

Main Results:

  • The CONVERGE consortium identified two genetic loci in Chinese women with recurrent severe depression.
  • Three additional loci were discovered in European populations by combining clinical diagnoses and symptom measures.
  • A large 23andMe study identified 15 loci associated with depression in over 300,000 individuals.
  • The number of identified depression-associated loci is expected to increase linearly with sample size.

Conclusions:

  • The first genetic associations for depression have been established, paving the way for future discoveries.
  • These genetic findings provide critical insights into the biological mechanisms underlying depression.
  • Identified loci offer potential for developing novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for depression.