Abstract
The similarities between the depressive symptoms of Major Depressive Disorders (MDD) and Bipolar Disorders (BD) suggest these disorders have some commonality in their molecular pathophysiologies, which is not apparent from the risk genes shared between MDD and BD. This is significant, given the growing literature suggesting that changes in non-coding RNA may be important in both MDD and BD, because they are causing dysfunctions in the control of biochemical pathways that are affected in both disorders. Therefore, understanding the changes in non-coding RNA in MDD and BD will lead to a better understanding of how and why these disorders develop. Furthermore, as a significant number of individuals suffering with MDD and BD do not respond to medication, identifying non-coding RNA that are altered by the drugs used to treat these disorders offer the potential to identify biomarkers that could predict medication response. Such biomarkers offer the potential to quickly identify patients who are unlikely to respond to traditional medications so clinicians can refocus treatment strategies to ensure more effective outcomes for the patient. This review will focus on the evidence supporting the involvement of non-coding RNA in MDD and BD and their potential use as biomarkers for treatment response.
Highlights
Major depressive disorders (MDD) and bipolar disorders (BD) are major psychiatric illnesses characterized by extreme and disruptive states of mood and emotional response
A recent study examined micro RNA (miRNA) changes in patients that had been prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and atypical antidepressants and it was shown that miRNA let-7e, miR-146a and miR-155 were low in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with MDD and, subsequently, increased in response to antidepressant treatment
The regulation of gene expression in both BD and MDD are characterised by complex changes in non-coding RNA expression that involve both common and distinct sets of differentially expressed RNA
Summary
Major depressive disorders (MDD) and bipolar disorders (BD) are major psychiatric illnesses characterized by extreme and disruptive states of mood and emotional response. It is known that non-coding RNA play a major role in regulating the transcription and translation of genes into proteins and there is a growing realization of the importance of this diverse group of RNA in regulating transcription, alternative splicing and translation of coding RNA in both the developing and mature brain [20] This additional layer of control between gene expression and protein translation may be key in understanding how a genetic predisposition to psychiatric illness could eventuate into clinically definable disorders, such as MDD and BD. Notable that such a complex organ as the brain shows some of the highest levels of miRNA expression compared to other organs and that miRNA have been shown to play essential roles in the development and maintenance of the central nervous system [20,30,31]
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