GxE in psychiatry - challenges and opportunities

A complex interplay of genetic and environmental risk factors underlies psychiatric disorders. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many loci associated with mental health disorders, and genome-wide interaction studies aim to integrate genetic variants and environmental factors. So far, however, the molecular biology affected by gene-environment interactions (GxE) is not fully understood. Post-GWAS methods are under continuous development, facilitating high-throughput identification of GxE functional variants and their molecular targets, both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we aim to lay out the possibilities, limitations, and opportunities that functional genetic studies hold for the study of GxE associated with psychiatric disorders.