The recent advances in genome-wide association studies of depression
Tian Yanjun1,Liu Chuanxin1,Liu Haiqing2,Bai Bo1，3
1Collaborative Innovation Center for Birth Defect Research and Transformation of Shandong Province,3Department of Neurobiology Institute,Jining Medical University,Jining 272067，China；2Department of Physiology,Taishan Medical University,Tai′an 271000,China
Abstract：Depression,a very prevalent,disabling,and moderately inherited mental illness,is a serious threat to human health,causing serious psychological and economic burden to family and society.The pathogenesis of depression is complex,and the cause is of great diversity.One promising approach to the prevention and clinical treatment of depression lies in uncovering the genetic determinants of the disorder.Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) has become an effective method to study complex traits and genetic variation.Focusing on the findings from GWAS,the review summarizes what is currently known about the genetic determinants of depression,and discusses the challenges and valuable research directions of GWAS on depression,which aim to provide the basis for the etiology study and the prevention and treatment measures of depression.
