American researchers have discovered 17 genetic variations linked to depression. Some of these genes are involved in brain development or other psychiatric illnesses.
Almost one in five people have suffered or will suffer from depression in their lifetime. While traumatic events or situations can increase the risk of this disease, some people experience depression for no apparent reason. This individual vulnerability is linked in part to our genes. An influence confirmed by a large genome-wide study published this Monday in the scientific journal Nature Genetics.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (United States) first analyzed the DNA of nearly 300,000 Europeans who sent saliva samples to the biotechnology company 23andMe, which offers to obtain information on its genetic heritage and its risk of developing certain diseases. They then compared them to the DNA of 75,600 people who reported having been diagnosed or treated for depression, as well as 230,000 people without a history of depression.
This first analysis reveals two genomic regions of interest. One of them contains a gene that is still little known, and expressed in the brain, while the other has a gene involved in the development of epilepsy and intellectual disability.
Therapeutic track
Second, the scientists again compared the DNA sequences of nearly 20,000 people, half of whom suffered from depression, to more than 150,000 23andMe customers. Of these, nearly 46,000 people were depressed. The results of this second comparison uncover 15 genomic regions containing 15 genetic variations associated with depression. Many of these sites are located near genes involved in brain development.
“The identification of these genetic factors is a first step towards understanding the biology of the disease, which will give us clues to develop new drugs,” said one of the study’s authors, Dr. Roy Perlis of the Department of Psychiatry and the Human Genetics Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. This also underlines that the models used to treat depression are over 40 years old, and are therefore now being exceeded.
The psychiatrist also hopes that “these findings will help show that depression is a disease of the brain, and that they will fight the stigma surrounding this disease.” “
.
