Molecular genetics studies in suicidology and new opportunities in risk assessment

The review is analyzing modern tendencies in the field of genetics of suicidal behavior. The authors discuss key facts and regularities obtained through classical behavioral genetics studies, candidate genes strategies and genome-wide association studies. The latter is gaining wider representation recently and is very promising. Such issues as the search of transcriptional correlates, epigenetic phenomena and proteins levels changes in brain tissue post mortem, as well as blood biomarkers, are discussed. In suicide genetics, the same tendency as in the genetics of mental disorders is revealed - “disappearing of heritability” when classical twin studies are compared with single-nucleotide polymorphisms studies, as well as high level of common genetic associations between psychiatric disorders (especially major depression and bipolar disorder) and suicide. The probability of obtaining markers with certain predictive potential is based on the stress-vulnerability model of suicide that is dominating in modern suicidology and is taking into consideration genes-environment interactions and encounter development of the “incubated trauma” that may be associated with epigenetic processes...