Contact: Domonique Chaplin
Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences
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Mount Sinai Researchers Identify 20 Novel Gene Associations With Bipolar Disorder
Newswise — New York, NY (May 1, 2019) — In the largest study of its kind, involving more than 50,000 subjects in 14 countries, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and more than 200 collaborating institutions have identified 20 new genetic associations with one of the most prevalent and elusive mental illnesses of our time—bipolar disorder. The study is reported in the May 2019 issue of Nature Genetics.
The elevated morbidity and mortality associated with bipolar disorder make it a major public health problem and leading contributor to the global burden of disease. The identification of genes associated with it can help identify therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention.
Bipolar disorder, a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, affects approximately 60 million people globally, 10 million of them in the United States. Unlike other illnesses, bipolar disorder has been found to affect men, women, and people of all ethnic groups equally. While genetic and environmental factors have been demonstrated to play a role in the illness, the exact cause of bipolar disorder remains unknown.
To identify genes associated with the disorder, researchers conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS)—a study type used to look for differences in the genetic code that are associated with a particular trait, such as having a mental illness. While some of the study findings reinforced hypotheses regarding the neurobiology of the disease—for example, its high heritability as previously demonstrated in twin studies—the study also demonstrates new biological insights. The study was initiated by the late Pamela Sklar, MD, PhD, who was Chief of the Division of Psychiatric Genomics at Mount Sinai.
In examining the genetic relationships between bipolar disorder and other psychiatric illnesses, the researchers discovered that eight of the genes they found to be associated with bipolar disorder harbored schizophrenia associations as well. Depression, in addition to other psychiatric-relevant traits such as autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa, was also found to have genetic ties to the disorder.
“The crux of this international collaborative study was, in essence, to connect the dots,” said Eli Stahl, PhD, Assistant Professor of Genetics, and Psychiatry, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “By discovering new genes associated with bipolar disorder and demonstrating their overlap with genes found in other psychiatric disorders, we bring ourselves closer to finding the true genetic underpinnings of the disease and improving patient outcomes.”
About the Mount Sinai Health System
The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest integrated delivery system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai's vision is to produce the safest care, the highest quality, the highest satisfaction, the best access and the best value of any health system in the nation. The Health System includes approximately 7,480 primary and specialty care physicians; 11 joint-venture ambulatory surgery centers; more than 410 ambulatory practices throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and 31 affiliated community health centers. The Icahn School of Medicine is one of three medical schools that have earned distinction by multiple indicators: ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report's "Best Medical Schools", aligned with a U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" Hospital, No. 12 in the nation for National Institutes of Health funding, and among the top 10 most innovative research institutions as ranked by the journal Nature in its Nature Innovation Index. This reflects a special level of excellence in education, clinical practice, and research. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 18 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of top U.S. hospitals; it is one of the nation's top 20 hospitals in Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Nephrology, and Neurology/Neurosurgery, and in the top 50 in six other specialties in the 2018-2019 "Best Hospitals" issue. Mount Sinai's Kravis Children's Hospital also is ranked nationally in five out of ten pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report. The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked 11th nationally for Ophthalmology and 44th for Ear, Nose, and Throat. Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Mount Sinai St. Luke's, Mount Sinai West, and South Nassau Communities Hospital are ranked regionally.
For more information, visit http://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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