Value of genetic and epigenetic testing as biomarkers of response to antidepressant treatment

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorders worldwide and therefore an important public health priority. The selection process of antidepressant treatment is primarily guided by trial and error, and the outcomes with current antidepressant strategies are disappointing. The biological background of the disease is heterogeneous with presumably multiple biological systems involved. With the aim to individualize antidepressant treatment, multiple candidate gene and a few genome-wide association studies have been performed, but so far with very limited success. To address the dynamic changes of depressive symptoms and their response to treatment, recent studies focus on epigenetic mechanisms, as these are modulated by environmental stimuli and adaptive to different stages of the disorder. In the present paper, after a brief summary of the most important results from pharmacogenetic studies in MDD, we comment on the current and potential future value of genetic testing as a biomarker of response to antidepressant treatment. The new and exciting field of epigenetic mechanisms in antidepressant drug treatment will be presented in the second part of this review.