They identify four genes that increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors

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  what should we never do?

Is there a

for

?

This is the question that led to a study led by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center and Durham VA, in North Carolina, United States, in which

among people who have had documented cases of

after analyzing their entire genome.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death;

however, the

of suicidal thoughts and behaviors

, so identifying novel and replicable genomic risk loci [physical location of a specific gene on a chromosome] for these behaviors may be helpful.

This work, published in JAMA Psychiatry, has been carried out on

and has identified 7

significant cross-ancestry

The main loci were replicated independently in a large international cohort.

Although multiple

candidate risk genes for this type of behavior have been identified, the authors believe that further work and evidence is needed to replicate these findings and determine whether these genes could have a significant impact on

.

Union with life events

"While more data is needed to determine whether the identification of genetic markers could lead to

, it is clear that the findings advance our understanding of how

in the pathology of suicidal thoughts and actions." ", they point out in the article.

Nathan Kimbrel, from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University and co-senior author of the study, believes that it is important to note that

, but it is also important to understand that " may confer increased risk, particularly when

. "

Krimbel's team, which also includes co-senior author Allison Ashley-Koch, a professor in Duke's Department of Medicine, conducted an extensive and diverse whole-genome analysis using data from 633,778 US veterans.

Of the participants,

;

descent

;

and

Asian

.

They were mainly men, with

.

Within that group of veterans,

from medical records.

Participants were classified as controls if they had no documented lifetime history of self-injurious behaviors.

Through a genome-wide analysis of blood samples, the researchers identified

that were evident among participants with documented cases of suicidal thoughts or actions,

.

the magnificent four

Four genes

had the strongest links and have previously been associated with

:

, an estrogen receptor, was previously identified as a causative gene drive gene

and

, both of which are risk factors. of suicidal behavior among veterans.

"Estrogen is also suspected to be the cause of

, and loss of ESR1 has been found to produce effects in brain tissue in men," explains Krimbel.

Another gene,

, is a dopamine receptor and has been associated with

attempts ,

, mood disorders, ADHD, risk behaviors, and

disorder .

The

, is expressed in brain tissue throughout life, has been associated with multiple psychiatric conditions, and is

of people who

.

Lastly,

is associated with

,

.

Lithium, the

treatment for bipolar disorder that has been shown to reduce suicide risk, modulates the expression of TRAF3 and several other inflammatory genes.

In addition to those genes, the researchers also identified nine additional

ancestry-

According to Kimbrel, while genes pose a

relative to other factors, "we need to better understand the

that underlie a person's risk of engaging in suicidal behavior."

The author emphasizes that suicide is the cause of more than 700,000 deaths a year and is the fourth leading cause of death among people between the ages of

.

"So the more we know, the better we can

. "

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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• Mental health

• Genetics