A major aim in the field of suicide prevention research is to amplify our ability to detect factors in individuals that indicate a potentially elevated level of risk – ideally before suicidal thoughts and behaviors enter the picture. Many biological researchers are working to do this by uncovering biomarkers (measurable substances that can indicate the presence of a disease or condition) that may be associated with suicide risk and the mental health conditions most associated with it.

So far, many potential biomarkers have been identified in the brain by studying tissue samples from human donors after their death. While these findings have been helpful in mapping out the biological mechanisms that could contribute to suicide risk, in order to serve the goal of risk detection and intervention (we can’t study brain samples in living people), we need to be able to match these biomarkers in other areas of the body, such as the blood.

With this in mind, Dr. Adolfo Sequeira set out to test a new method of analyzing matched brain and blood samples to see if differences in gene expression (biomarkers) existed in both the brain and the blood between individuals who died by suicide and those who died of other causes.

Question:

Can we identify specific genes in the blood that indicate suicide risk for individuals with Major Depressive Disorder?