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Review
. 2011 Aug 15;35(7):1553-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.11.031. Epub 2010 Nov 27.

Genome-wide association studies of antidepressant outcome: a brief review

Gonzalo Laje  1 , Francis J McMahon
Affiliations
Review

Genome-wide association studies of antidepressant outcome: a brief review

Gonzalo Laje et al. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of antidepressant treatment outcome have been at the forefront of psychiatric pharmacogenetics. Such studies may ultimately help match medications with patients, maximizing efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. The hypothesis-free approach of the GWAS has the advantage of interrogating genes that otherwise would have not been considered as candidates due to our limited understanding of their function, and may also uncover important regulatory variation within the large regions of the genome that do not contain protein-coding genes. Three independent samples have so far been studied using a genome-wide approach: The Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression sample (STAR*D) (n=1953), the Munich Antidepressant Response Signature (MARS) sample (n=339) and the Genome-based Therapeutic Drugs for Depression (GENDEP) sample (n=706). None of the studies reported results that achieved genome-wide significance, suggesting that larger samples and better outcome measures will be needed. This review discusses the published GWAS studies, their strengths, limitations, and possible future directions.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: Drs. Laje and McMahon are listed as co-inventors in patent applications filed by the NIH related to genetic markers of antidepressant treatment outcome. Under federal law the NIH is required to pay inventors a portion of any royalties the NIH receives through licenses granted under patents. Funded by the Intramural Research Program of NIMH and K99MH085098 (GL), NIH, US DHHS. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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