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Review
. 2010 Mar;33(1):67-82.
doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2009.10.005.

Genetic research into bipolar disorder: the need for a research framework that integrates sophisticated molecular biology and clinically informed phenotype characterization

Thomas G Schulze  1
Affiliations
Review

Genetic research into bipolar disorder: the need for a research framework that integrates sophisticated molecular biology and clinically informed phenotype characterization

Thomas G Schulze. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Research into the genetic basis of bipolar disorder (BD) has reached a turning point. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), encompassing several thousand samples, have produced replicated evidence for some novel susceptibility genes; however, the genetic variants implicated so far account for only a fraction of disease liability, a phenomenon not limited to psychiatric phenotypes but characteristic of all complex genetic traits studied to date. It appears that pure genomic approaches, such as GWAS alone, will not suffice to unravel the genetic basis of a complex illness like BD. Genomic approaches will need to be complemented by a variety of strategies, including phenomics, epigenomics, pharmacogenomics, and neurobiology, as well as the study of environmental factors. This review highlights the most promising findings from recent GWAS and candidate gene studies in BD. It furthermore sketches out a potential research framework integrating various lines of research into the molecular biological basis of BD.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual framework for future genetic research into bipolar disorder
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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