Studies offer promising blood tests to treat depression, bipolar disorder

Around the world, one in four suffers from depression. While current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are primarily trial and error, a groundbreaking study by Indiana University School of Medicine aimed to shed new light on the biological basis of mood disorders and to provide a precision medicine approach to treatment. We provide promising blood tests.

Alexander B, a professor of psychiatry at IU School of Medicine. The study, led by Niculescu, MD, and PhD, was published today in the influential journal Molecular Psychiatry. This study is based on a previous study by Niculescu and his colleagues on blood biomarkers that track suicidal tendencies, pain, post-traumatic stress disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.

“We have pioneered the field of precision medicine in psychiatry for the past 20 years, especially the last 10 years. This research represents the current state-of-the-art results of our efforts,” said Niculescu. Stated.

“This is part of our efforts to bring psychiatry to the 19th and 21st centuries, to help it become like other modern disciplines such as oncology. Ultimately, The mission is to save and improve lives. “

The team’s work will cover the development of a blood test consisting of RNA biomarkers. This allows you to distinguish between the severity of depression in a patient, the risk of developing severe depression in the future, and the risk of future bipolar disorder (manic depression). .. This test also informs you of the choice of medication that is tailored to your patient.

This comprehensive study was conducted over a four-year period and more than 300 participants were recruited primarily from a patient population at the Richard L. Rudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. The team used a careful four-step approach to discovery, prioritization, validation, and testing.

First, participants were followed over time, and researchers observed participants in both high and low moods. Each time, we recorded what changed with respect to the biological markers (biomarkers) in the blood between the two states.

The Niculescu team then used a large database developed from all previous research in the field to cross-validate and prioritize the findings. From here, the researchers examined the top 26 candidate biomarkers in an independent cohort of people with clinically severe depression or mania. Finally, biomarkers were tested in an additional independent cohort to determine who was ill and how strong they were in predicting who would get sick in the future.

From this approach, researchers were able to demonstrate how to match patients with the drug-even finding new potential drugs to treat depression.

“Through this study, we wanted to develop blood tests for depression and bipolar disorder, distinguish between the two, and adapt people to the right treatment,” said Niculescu. “Blood biomarkers have emerged as an important tool for disorders in which subjective self-reports by individuals and clinical impressions of healthcare professionals are not always reliable. These blood tests are accurate and personalized. It can open the door to matching with drugs that have been given. Objective monitoring of response to treatment. “

In addition to the diagnostic and therapeutic advances found in the latest research, Niculescu’s team noted that circadian clock genes (genes that regulate the cycle of season, day and night, sleep and wakefulness) emphasize mood disorders. discovered.

“It explains why some patients get worse with seasonal and sleep changes caused by mood disorders,” says Niculescu.

According to Niculescu, the work done by his team has reflected their findings in clinical practice, opening the door to supporting new drug development. Focusing on collaboration with pharmaceutical companies and other doctors, Niculescu aims to begin applying some of the tools and discoveries to real-world scenarios, where the team’s work is in the lives of countless patients. We believe it is essential to improve quality.

“Blood biomarkers offer the benefits of real-world clinical practice. Living individuals cannot easily biopsy their brains, so they have worked hard for many years to identify blood biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders. We’ve been working on it, “says Niculescu. “Given the fact that one in four people will experience episodes of clinical mood disorders in their lifetime, the need and importance of efforts like ours cannot be exaggerated.”

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